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

12 June 2003
For more information contact:S.Varma@cgiar.org
Lentil and Chickpea Field Days in Syria
Lentil

As part of technology transfer activities in collaboration with the Directorate of Agriculture and Scientific Research (DASR), the Directorate of Agricultural Extension, and the General Organisation for Seed Multiplication (GOSM), ICARDA organized a Farmers’ Field Day on lentil production technology in Shllakh village, near Aleppo, on 25 May. The objective of the field day was to demonstrate the performance of the improved lentil variety ‘Idleb-2,’ and its harvesting by a double-knife cutter bar, and to encourage the adoption of improved lentil technology.

A researcher from the Syria/ICARDA collaborative program briefs farmers on the merits of ‘Idleb-2’ lentil.

ICARDA's (www.icarda.org) mission is to improve the welfare of people and alleviate poverty through research and training in dry areas of the developing world by increasing production, productivity, and nutritional quality of food, while preserving and enhancing the natural resource base. ICARDA is a Future Harvest Center.

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     More than 100 farmers from Shllakh and adjacent villages participated in the event. From the Syrian national program, extentionists from the Idleb regional office of the department of Agricultural Extension and GOSM, Aleppo took part in organizational activities. ICARDA participants were Dr A. Sarker, Eng. N. Trabulsi, Eng. H. El Hassan, Eng. Atef Haddad, A. Aziz Niane and Mr Shukri Ismail. The Lentil Improvement Program of ICARDA supplied seed of ‘Idleb-2’ lentil to 190 farmers throughout Syria during 2002/03. Each farmer was given 50 kg seeds to grow in 0.5 ha land along with the local variety to compare the performance of the two. A lead farmer, Mr Ziad Jabri of Shllakh village, grew ‘Idleb-2’ and a local cultivar side-by-side for demonstration. A group of trainees on harvest mechanization organized by Station Operations also participated in the field day and had practical orientation on lentil harvest by double-knife cutter bar.
     Colleagues from Extension Department and GOSM spoke about merits of the variety and highlighted the benefits of expansion of its cultivation. Dr Sarker described the varietal characteristics including its wilt resistance, yield potential, and growth habit suitable for machine harvest. Mr Haddad and Trabulsi provided information on agronomic management. Mr Shukri Ismail demonstrated the efficiency of the cutter bar. He informed the farmers that the machine could harvest about 3 hectares in 1 hour. Mr Abdul Aziz Niane emphasized the use of genetically pure and good quality seed with proper viability to ensure optimum plant population.
     Farmer’s reactions were noted—they were impressed with the variety for its good standing ability, larger seed size, higher podding intensity and higher yield than the local variety. The farmers expressed a strong interest in adopting the variety for higher income. They asked for the seed of the variety for next year’s cultivation. ICARDA promised to provide the seed of ‘Idleb-2’ to some of the farmers in the next season. However, a farmer-to- farmer seed supply system was recommended, whereby the lead farmer will sell seeds to other farmers. There were good interactions among the farmers, extensionists and researchers.

Chickpea

ICARDA, in collaboration with the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform and Aleppo Agriculture Chamber, organized two Chickpea Field Days, one at Babennes, North Aleppo on 8 June, and the other in Ibbine, South West Aleppo on 9 June.
     In Babennes, a chickpea field belonging to Aleppo Agriculture Chamber, and planted with three improved chickpea varieties, ‘Ghab 3,’ ‘Ghab 4’ and ‘Ghab 5’, was used for demonstration of an Integrated Production Package for Winter Sowing of Chickpea. More than 50 farmers along with extensionists, experts from the General Organisation for Seed Multiplication (GOSM), and farmers’ union participated in deliberations. ICARDA’s role in boosting chickpea production was highlighted, and the strong collaboration between NARS scientists and their colleagues at ICARDA was appreciated. The Syrian TV interviewed some ICARDA scientists.
     In Ibbine, a field planted with ‘Ghab 3’ and ‘Ghab 4’ by Mr Samer Ibrahim Pasha, a progressive farmer, was selected for demonstration. About 100 farmers were present.
     On both field days the Integrated Production Package involving quality seed of improved chickpea variety with seed dressing, early spring planting date, 120 kg/ha seed rate, paired row planting technique for inter-row cultivation to control weeds, fungicide spraying at the right time, and use of appropriate

Farmers in Babennes examine the performance of new chickpea varieties developed by ICARDA in collaboration with the Syrian National Program.
Speaking to the farmers in Ibbine, Dr Lukas Brader said: “Seeing is believing.” He was referring to the new technologies that ICARDA is developing with, and for farmers in the dry areas.
techniques for harvesting were demonstrated.A brochure describing winter chickpea technology was also distributed to the farmers
     In addition to participants from various organizations on the first field day, Dr Lukas Brader (ex-Director General of IITA) and Chair of CCER of ICARDA’s Outreach Programs, and Mr M. Valat (Director of Corporate Services, ICARDA), were also present on the second field day.
     Farmers appreciated the interaction with ICARDA scientists and administrators. They were satisfied with the performance of ‘Ghab 3,’ ‘Ghab 4,’ and ‘Ghab 5, and wanted to expand the cultivation of these improved winter chickpea varieties. Many questions were raised by farmers and answered by ICARDA experts and progressive farmers. Farmers were convinced of the adoption of winter chickpea, and some of them commented that the fields they visited made it clear that the crop would definitely give more than double the yield as compared to spring-planted chickpea. The average seed yield from the field visited on the first day was estimated at 1.5 to 2.0 tons per hectare, and at 2 to 3 tons per hectare from the field visited on the second day.