Brief but alarming reminder about the need for reintroducing ‘Greek hay’ (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) in Mediterranean agricultures

‘Greek hay’, fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.), is a legume species native to the eastern Mediterranean. It is cultivated mostly for its grain used in traditional dishes, such as curry, and as medicaments in local traditional medicines. The genetic resources of fenugreek are endangered. The most common methods in developing advanced cultivars of fenugreek are recurrent or family selection. The local landraces of fenugreek have a potential for up to 20 t ha⁻¹ of fresh forage and more than 1100 kg ha⁻¹ of grain and may have tolerance to various forms of biotic stresses. Despite the fact that fenugreek originated in the Mediterranean basin, extraordinarily rich sources of wild populations and local landraces, this crop is neglected, underutilized and almost completely forgotten. The main goal of this short communication is to preserve this crop in the Mediterranean and adjacent regions and its reintroduction in local agricultures.