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I C A R D A N e w s 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 |
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For
more information contact:
Dr Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
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16 June 2005
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As part
of the Center’s technology transfer activities, ICARDA organized
three field days on improved lentil varieties and production technologies
for the Jabal al Hoss project in Aleppo, Al-Dana village in Idleb,
and Al-Alkemieh in Aleppo province, in collaboration with the General
Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), Douma; the
Directorate of Agricultural Extension (DAE); and the General Organization
for Seed Multiplication (GOSM). The objective was to demonstrate the
performance of improved lentil varieties, ‘Idleb-2’ and
‘Idleb-3,’ and technologies developed in the joint program
with Syria; and a machine harvest system that uses a double-knife
cutter bar, so farmers could increase the adoption of these technologies
to improve lentil production.
The first field day was organized at the Jabal al Hoss project site on 16 May, where UNDP programs are on-going. The region is prone to drought which makes the drought-tolerant qualities of ‘Idleb-3’ attractive to farmers. About 100 lentil farmers from nearby villages participated in the event. In addition to ICARDA researchers, the Syrian national program’s researchers, extentionists, Jabal al Hoss Project administrators and participants from GOSM, Aleppo, attended the field day. The second field day, in Al-Dana, was organized on 18 May, and drew more than 120 farmers, and participants from the Syrian national agricultural extension and research departments, and GOSM. The third field day was conducted on 19 May in Al-Alkamieh village where more than 70 farmers participated from the adjacent villages. During the 2000/01 to 2004/05 cropping seasons, ICARDA and the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture have supplied seed of ‘Idleb-2’ to about 700 farmers, and ‘Idleb-3’ to more than 200 farmers throughout Syria. The participating farmers compared the plant and seed characteristics of the improved varieties with the local cultivar and shared their observations during the field days. Dr R.S. Malhotra, ICARDA Chickpea Breeder; Dr B. Bayya, Lentil Pathologist; Mr H. El-Hassan, Research Associate; Mr Sukuri Ismail, Senior Research Technician; Mr Abdul Aziz Niane, Research Associate; Mr A. Haddad, Research Associate, and Mr N. Trabulsi, Assistant National Research Coordinator, provided information to the farmers on the various aspects of lentil cultivation. The farmers observed the erect growth habit of ‘Idleb-2’ and ‘Idleb-3’ compared to the lodging habit of local cultivars, larger seed size, higher podding intensity, and expected higher seed and straw yields. A farmer from Arshraf village said that he harvested 2.4 tons of seeds of ‘Idleb-2’ variety compared to 1.7 tons with the local variety. Other farmers asked for seed for next year’s cultivation. They were advised to collect seed from those farmers who are cultivating the improved varieties in order to continue the “farmer-to-farmer” seed supply system for lentil in Syria. Lentil area is increasing in Syria because of high and stable yield performance and better returns from lentil cultivation. |
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 countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.