Preliminary Observations on the Performance of Some Exotic Species of Atriplex in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Seeds of seven different Atriplex species (four from the United States and three from Australia) were germinated in the greenhouse and then transplanted to field plots at the Regional Agriculture and Water Research Center (RAWRC), located at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data were obtained on vegetative growth, flowering, seed production, seed germination, and chemical composition of the plants. There were marked differences between species in vegetative growth. All flowered normally, but seed production and seed germination percentages differed among the species. All species were high in protein and ash content. Further field studies are underway at different sites within the Kingdom to test the potential value of Atriplex for the improvement of Saudi Arabian rangeland.