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.org
22 June 2006
                             Media contact: Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
 
Chickpea Field Day
The Chickpea Improvement Project of ICARDA, in collaboration with the Directorate of Agriculture, Idleb, Syria, organized a Chickpea Field Day at Harbanoush village in Idleb on 6 June 2006. The objective was to demonstrate the winter chickpea technology to farmers in the area and encourage them to adopt it. About 200 farmers, scientists from the Ministry of Agriculture and ICARDA, extension workers from Aleppo and Idleb, and representatives of GOSM participated. The Governer of Idleb Province was represented by Mr Juma’ Al-Mustafa. The event was held in a field planted with 'Ghab 3' chickpea variety, belonging to Mr Satae Haj Ahmed, a progressive farmer.

Dr William Erskine, ICARDA ADG (Research) welcomed the participants on behalf of ICARDA and gave an overview of the Syria/ICARDA collaboration in various areas of research and human capacity building. The chickpea research team from ICARDA and the Ministry of Agriculture, Syria, presented an overview of the winter chickpea technology to the participating farmers. They also distributed a brochure describing the technology.

The field day involved the demonstration of an integrated chickpea production package. The package includes the use of quality seed of improved chickpea varieties, winter (Dec/early Jan) planting, and the use of 120 kg seed/ha with appropriate planting techniques. It also includes fungicide spraying at the right time, and the use of appropriate harvesting techniques.

Mr Ahmed, the owner of the farm, spoke to the farmers on his experience and the performance of Ghab 3. He said he was expecting to harvest about 2.5 t/ha from Ghab 3, compared with 1 t/ha from the traditional spring-sown chickpea. The farmers asked questions, which were answered by the scientists and other progressive farmers.

Farmers enjoyed talking to the scientists and were happy with the on-farm performance of Ghab 3. Another two varieties, Ghab 4 and Ghab 5, were reported to be performing well by some farmers, who have adopted them. Farmers expressed the desire for increased adoption of the technology, and requested more seed of the new varieties from GOSM for planting in the coming year.


For more information contact: Dr Rajinder Malhotra
  

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.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.
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