ICARDA News

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN THE DRY AREAS
P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012
Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105; E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG
Website: www.icarda.cgiar.org
29 July 2004
For more information contact:
Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
Winter Chickpea Farmers’ Field Day
More than 250 Syrian farmers attended a winter chickpea field day in Hazzano, Idlib Province, on 2 June 2004. The objective of the field day was to review the performance of winter chickpea with the farmers and obtain their feedback to incorporate in the chickpea breeding strategy. The field day was organized by ICARDA, the Agricultural Extension Department, and the General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR).
A farmer from Idlib shares his experience of growing winter chickpea with the participants of the field day.
H.E. Mr Huseen Ali AL-Haddar, Governor of Idlib Province; various senior officials including those from the Al-Baath Party in Idlib, the Chief of Agricultural Engineering Syndicate, the Director of Agriculture; and staff of the General Organization for Seed Multiplication, GCSAR, and the Agricultural Extension Department participated in the field day. Dr Ahmed EL-Ahmed, National Coordinator, Syria, and Dr Ali Abd El-Moneim, Acting GP Director, were also present.

Mr Juma El-Ismail, Chief of Extension Section in Idlib, described the fruitful collaboration between the Syrian Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Ministry and ICARDA. Dr R.S. Malhotra, ICARDA Chickpea Breeder, presented an overview of the varietal and technology related developments in winter chickpea in Syria, and highlighted the merits of shifting from the traditional spring planting of chickpea to early or late winter. Three varieties, ‘Ghab 3,’ ‘Ghab 4,’ and ‘Ghab 5,’ which have been released for general cultivation in Zone 1 and 2 of Syria, are tolerant to Ascochyta blight and cold and are suitable for winter sowing.

Dr B. Bayaa, ICARDA Legume Pathologist, described various aspects of disease control and explained the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for controlling Ascochyta blight. Mr A. Haddad, Agronomist, presented various crop management practices such as sowing methods, cultivation, fertilizer, inoculation, seed rate, and weed control to the farmers. Dr J. Diekmann, Farm Manager, discussed aspects of mechanization of winter chickpea cultivation, including land preparation, sowing, weed control, and harvesting. Farmers and scientists had long discussions about chickpea cultivation. It was suggested to use a wheat harvester with minor modifications for harvesting winter chickpea.

The farmers said they were happy with the performance of the new chickpea varieties, ‘Ghab 4’ and ‘Ghab 5,’ which were demonstrated in the field. Both these new cultivars possess a larger seed size than ‘Ghab 3,’ and, unlike the local cultivar, also possess tolerance to Ascochyta blight and cold. H. E. Mr Al-Haddar, concluded the field day with words of appreciation for the successful collaborative program between the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform and ICARDA.

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.cgiar.org) serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil, and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants (sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of 62 members and 16 Future Harvest Centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.
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