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
3 June 2004
For more information contact:
Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
Syrian Farmers Like Lentil Variety ‘Idlib-2’
Drs Willie Erskine, Assistant Director General (Research), and Ali Abd El-Moneim, Acting Director, Germplasm Program, discussing with a farmer in Afees village the merits of the lentil variety 'Idlib-2,' including its suitability for mechanized
harvesting.
In May 2004, ICARDA organized three lentil field days as part of its technology transfer activities in Syria in collaboration with the General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), Douma, the Directorate of Agricultural Extension, and the General Organization for Seed Multiplication (GOSM). The field days were held in Marshmarin and Afees villages of Idlib province and in Arshaf village of Aleppo province. The objective of the field days was to encourage the adoption of the improved lentil variety ‘Idlib-2,’ and to demonstrate the performance of a double-knife cutter bar machine harvest system.

The first field day, organized by the Extension Department of Idlib province, was held in Marshmarin on 11 May 2004. About 150 farmers from Marshmarin and adjacent villages, and extensionists and researchers from the Syrian national program from the Idlib province participated in this event. The second field day was organized in Afees on 24 May 2004; it brought together more than 100 farmers, and participants from the Syrian national agricultural extension and research programs, GOSM, and ICARDA. The third field day was conducted on 27 May 2004 in Arshaf village, in which more than 50 farmers participated. During the past four growing seasons, ICARDA has supplied seeds of ‘Idlib-2’ to about 500 farmers throughout Syria. Each farmer was given 50 kg of seeds to grow in 0.5 ha and compare its performance with the local varieties.

Colleagues from the Extension Department, national research system and GOSM spoke about merits of the variety and emphasized the expansion of its cultivation. From ICARDA, Drs Willie Erskine, ADG (Research), and Ashutosh Sarker, Lentil Breeder, described the varietal characteristics including yield potential and growth habit which makes this variety suitable for machine harvest. Mr Atif Haddad and Mr Nabil Trabulsi provided information to the farmers on agronomic management. Dr Bassam Bayya provided information on disease resistance, especially fusarium wilt. Dr Jurgen Diekmann and Mr Sukuri Ismail demonstrated the efficiency of the double-knife cutter bar which can harvest about 3 ha per hour. Mr Abdul Aziz Niane emphasized the use of genetically pure, high-quality seed with proper viability to ensure optimum plant population and higher yield. Drs Ahmed El-Ahmed, and Ali Abed El- Moneim also participated in the field days.

The farmers compared the plant and seed characteristics of ‘Idlib-2’ with the local cultivar. They were happy with the improved variety for its good standing ability, larger seed size, higher podding intensity, and the expected higher seed and straw yields, all of which translate into higher income when compared to the local variety. To promote the farmer-to-farmer seed supply system that is currently operating in Syria, farmers who requested seed for next year’s cultivation were referred to those already growing ‘Idlib-2’. It is expected that the increased adoption of the new variety and improved technologies will help farmers to boost lentil production in Syria. An impact assessment study is underway.

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.
Back