Jalili S, Fathi G, Fathi Y, Ahmed W, Al

Jalili S, Fathi G, Fathi Y, Ahmed W, Al-Ghulami M, Kashmoula M.
Corresponding author: sinanjalili@hotmail.com
Presented by: Dr. Stephen Loss, ICARDA/ACIAR, Amman Jordan
35000
30000
25000
Iraq Area
Syria Area
Iraq Farmers
Syria Farmers
?
700
600
500
20000
400
15000
300
10000
200
5000
100
0
Number of Farmers
Area of zero-tillage (ha)
Promotion of Conservation Cropping in the
Drylands of Northern Iraq: ICARDA/ACIAR
0
Four pivotal strategies were :
1. Focus on adaptive research and development
2. Availability of low cost zero-tillage seeders
3. Participatory extension – farmer testing
4. Capacity development
Nineva: Agriculture on both sides of Tigris River, 40km north, east, south, & 150km
west of Mosul. Total cropping area – 1.0 million ha. Farms vary from 25 - 1,000 ha.
Weather: 250-350mm p.a. rain, Nov-April.
One drought every 8 years. Some irrigation.
Conventional Cropping: Wheat, barley &
fallow with few legumes. Residues heavily
grazed or burnt. Farmers plough one or two
times before seeding.
Machinery: Locally made chisel & disc
ploughs with mounted seed boxes. Mostly
3.6m tine seeders - John Shearer (Australia),
Rama (Jordan), Nardi (Italy) and some disc
seeders - John Deere (US).
First encounter benefits of ZT & early sowing (↓ costs,
yields) in Syria with ACIAR-ICARDA project in 2006.
Seeder modification make & fit narrow points & press
wheels to John Shearer seeders for a few big farmers.
Farmer & research trials showed better yields for ZT
plots through two droughts in 07/08 & 08/09.
More modifications for another 20 farmers totaling
5,000 ha in 09/10 (JS, Rama, Nardi).
Assembly of a small ZT seeder (2.0m) for small farmers,
suitable for 75 hp tractors.
With technical input from Australian experts, local
manufacture of key components :
Knife points Tines – about 75kg breakout
Press wheels - gang & walking beam.
Some difficulties in sourcing high quality materials in Iraq.
Eventually led to design & construction of a whole ZT
seeder in 2012.
Features:
• 2.2m width for 75 hp tractors
• three ranks for residue management
• flexible row spacing
• ten spring-loaded tines at 25cm
• simple but strong
• walking beam press wheels
Sowed 200 ha with good feed back from
farmers.
Named “Ras Al-Rumuh” = Spearhead
The ICARDA/ACIAR project ordered
8 seeders using seed boxes & metering
systems from Turkey in 2013.
New tine/presswheel contour-following
seeding system developed.
Field tests provided good results & 14
more seeders were ordered in 2014.
Traditional row spacing for cereals is 18cm
& seed rates 140kg/ha or more.
In 2012/2013 (high rainfall) yield for the
27cm rows + 100kg/ha was best, and
36cm rows + 60kg/ha yielded 25% less.
In 2013/14 (more typical) 30cm rows +
80kg/ha were performing well.
We recognize the lack of sustainable &
profitable rotation crops, especially in rain
fed areas.
In pursuit of better rotations, trigonella,
rye, safflower, & field peas were tried.
Crop residues cannot be protected due to
uncontrolled grazing by shepherds and lack
of fences.
Due to the very hot dry summer, weeds
usually start growing once the rains come.
Most crops receive a broad-leaf selective,
post- emergent herbicide.
Chemical weed control before sowing was
tried using glyphosate with good success.
Most sprayers are old and capital
investment is needed.
Plowing cost per hectare equals $8/ha,
while glyphosate costs $16/ha.
In collaboration with Mosul Uni. & Ministry of
Ag. many famers conducted on farm testing &
demonstration of ZT (2008-14), including many
field days & publicity.
In 2013 a Syrian ZT seeder was lent to farmers
in Hamdaniya community & 100 ha sown.
Excellent germination and growth with ZT at
reduced seeding rate made a big impression
among local community.
ZT produced 25% more yield than conventional.
Through ZT and better crop management farmers in Mosul are considering ways to use
inputs more efficiently - seeds, fertilizer, fuel, labor, and irrigation.
Elimination of fallow and new crops will increase productivity and help diversify
agricultural production.
For the first time in 30-40 years new imporved seeders are being introduced or made
locally for northern Iraq.
Farmers interested in improving agriculture through on-farm testing are starting to
form groups independent from government authorities.
Local manufacturing of ZT seeders and parts will establish a sustainable industry to
help promote CA in northern Iraq.
Helping farmers invest in new seeders and working with them (not limited to field
days) will be required in the coming years.
Finding and helping innovative farmers happy to work for themselves and for their
neighbors proved to be the key for ZT promotion in Mosul.
Chemical weed control, crop rotations, and stubble retention are key aspects of CA
that need further research & development.
In early June militia of the Islamic State for Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS ) took control of
Mosul or other parts of Iraq.
At present the situation is highly uncertain.
“I am writing to you on the echoes of machine
guns and artillery. My heart is bleeding for
my daughters and my wife and my mother,
seeing them going through this terrible ordeal.”
Sinan Jalili, 9 June 2014
Adoption of zero-tillage in conflict zones of Syria – session 12.
Adoption of zero-tillage in conflict zones of Syria
Atef Haddad, Stephen Loss*, Yaseen Khalil and Colin Piggin
International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas, Amman, Jordan
* s.loss@cgiar.org
Key Messages
Effective participatory research, development and extension in Syria
encouraged 500+ farmers to adopt zero-tillage (ZT) and early sowing over 30,000
ha by 2011/12.
Although the crop area in Syria has declined since the conflict started, ZT is
proving popular because of the shortage and high cost of fuel, and the reduced
risk with the elimination of ploughing operations and transport of tillage
equipment.
Public meetings like this ZT farmer group field day at Jarjanaz near Idleb in 2010 were not possible
after the outbreak of unrest in Syria.
Introduction
Experimental data from northern Syria show that ZT combined with early
sowing can increase crop yields by 12-20% with lower fuel and labour costs.
After affordable and locally manufactured ZT seeders were developed by
working with small workshops, Syrian farmers were keen to test the
technology. Fourteen participatory extension groups involving farmers,
manufacturers, extensionists, researchers and other stakeholders were
established whereby farmers could borrow a ZT seeder to test in their fields.
These proved successful and by 2010/11, ZT had been adopted by about 350
farmers over an area of 15,000 ha in Syria. This poster explores what
happened after the Syrian conflict erupted and most ICARDA staff left Syria in
early 2012.
14 participatory extension groups
were operating where farmers could
test ZT seeders, including training,
field days and other publicity.
The participatory structure of the
groups allowed many to continue,
but insecurity limited training and
public activities.
Mr. Ali Alewi, Qamishley: “I was able to sow four times the area of crop because of
the fuel savings with ZT.” (January 2013).
After two years of civil unrest very few
of the manufacturers are still operating.
But ZT is proving popular because of the:
1) shortage & high cost of fuel,
2) reduced risk with the elimination of
ploughing operations and transport of
tillage equipment.
Most workshops shut down due
to a shortage of raw materials
and the lack of security.
This prompted farmers to convert
conventional seeders into ZT.
Area of ZT adoption & number of farmers
1200
?
area
30
900
20
600
farmer no.
10
300
2013/14
2012/13
2011/12
0
2010/11
conflict
2009/10
Area of zero-tillage (,000 ha)
40
0
Number of farmers
Mrs. Rehab Khateeb, agronomist with the General Commission for Scientific Agricultural
Research, Salamiyah, worked with local farmers to convert seeders to ZT (November 2013).
2008/09
Extension
During conflict
Established new research in Erbil
Iraq, and Jordan, including basic
and long-term trials.
Continuation of the long-term
trials in Syria by local staff.
2007/08
ZT
seeders
Pre conflict
Two types of agronomic research
were conducted near Aleppo:
Conservation agriculture 
verification and basic agronomy.
Long-term rotation trials under

ZT.
Project staff provided technical
support to seven Syrian workshops to
produce simple 2-4m ZT seeders at
affordable prices.
2006/07
Activity
Research
Discussion
A summary of the major changes in activities before and during the conflict
is presented in the table. The area of adoption of ZT and early sowing in
2011/12 increased to about 30,000 ha (537 farmers), but reliable data were
not available after this (see figure). Anecdotal evidence suggests the area
continued to increase due to the increasing cost and shortages of fuel, and the
reduced personal risk associated with less time in the fields and moving tillage
equipment on public roads.
The production of wheat in 2013/14 is estimated to be one third of the area
5-6 years ago. However, the area of ZT could be as high as 50,000 ha.
Key Messages
By 2011/12, there were seven
manufacturers of ZT seeders in Syria and
adoption had spread to 30,000 ha.
We are hopeful seeder manufacturing and
adoption of ZT will continue when peace
returns to Syria and Iraq.