Whether we are concerned with discovering new forages to replace the 'thirsty' species used today, or looking for species to use in rehabilitation work, we need seeds. We need to know when to collect the seed, how to germinate it, how to clean it and then how best to multiply it.
     The winter of 1997/98 was particularly wet in the UAE, giving good potential for seed production of range species in the 'wild.' Six priority species identified in the May 1997 farmers' meeting in Sharjah were all found growing in an area adjacent to the Sharjah Natural History Museum and Desert Park which has been protected from livestock by fencing for six years. The director kindly offered the area for ICARDA to carry out its research.
       Every week, from mid-January onwards,

observations on the development stages of the plants were made, together with seed collections. Four species exhibited sequential ripening, with flowering, immature seeds and mature seeds being found on a single plant at the same time from mid-February all the way through to early May. Another species had a more restricted maturation window and a further species flowered all at once, much later in the season.
    Seed samples are being tested at ICARDA's headquarters in Aleppo, Syria. The idea is to test the germination of seeds from harvests at intervals through the season and identify dormancy problems. Many plants have devised very clever strategies for dealing with harsh environmental conditions; for example, one species has water-soluble germination inhibitors in its glumes, so only after it

has rained, and the inhibitors have dissolved away, will the seed germinate--ensuring that there is sufficient moisture around to support life.
      Of those species that produced mature seed early, two exhibited no dormancy (once the glumes were removed!), but another two are still showing the signs of dormancy. Tests are continuing with the larger bulk collections and additional species.
      Once we are able to get the seed to germinate, we will have to overcome the problems of sequential ripening at harvest time, in addition to the added problem of shattering seed (a very useful strategy for seed dispersal in the wild, but not favorable for organised seed production). All these problems are being addressed with the objective of providing enough seed for the widespread commercial use of these species.