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
1 June 2006
                             Media contact: Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
 
Integrated Gene Management MegaProject
Improved Lentil Varieties: Hope for the Syrian Farmers
Demonstration of 'Idlib-2' lentil in Hazzano village in Idleb province, Syria.
ICARDA, 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), organized lentil field days in Hazzano village of Idleb Province and Ozmeller village of Al-Hassakeh Province of Syria in May 2006. The objective was to demonstrate the performance of the improved lentil variety, Idleb-2, and machine harvesting using the double-knife cutter bar to promote the adoption of this improved variety by farmers.

Since the 2000/01 cropping season, ICARDA and the Syrian national program have been distributing the seed of Idlib-2 lentil to Syrian farmers. For the 2005/06 season, 50 kg seed each was given to 292 farmers throughout Syria.

The first field day was held on 17 May in Hazzano, and about 200 farmers including 25 women participated.

On behalf of ICARDA Director General, Dr William Erskine, Assistant Director General for Research, congratulated the Department of Agricultural Extension for organizing the field day, and thanked farmers for taking part in the event. He emphasized the need for farmers to adopt the improved varieties and use machine harvesting to reduce production cost.

The Al-Hassakeh Directorate of Agriculture collaborated with ICARDA in organizing the second field day in Ozmeller village on 29 May. About 100 farmers participated.

From ICARDA, several sceintists representing the various disciplines participated in both field days and had discussions with the farmers.

The farmers said they liked Idleb-2 because of its good standing ability, larger seed size, higher pod intensity, and higher seed and straw yields.


For more information contact: Dr Ashutosh Sarker
  

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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