Better crop germplasm and management for improved production of wheat, barley and pulse and forage legumes in Iraq

• Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Australia
• Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, Australia
• University of Adelaide, Australia
• Ministry of Agriculture, Iraq

Agricultural production in Iraq employs around 20 per cent of the total workforce and provides an estimated eight per cent of GDP. In northern Iraq rainfed cereal cropping is a dominant industry, undertaken in conditions similar to those found throughout Australia's cropping zones. Low rainfall necessitates seed varieties well suited to the dry climate, and tolerant or resistant to salinity, drought and diseases. Seed of commonly grown varieties was sourced from local stocks and from the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), based in neighbouring Syria, during the mid 1980s. These varieties and associated crop management practices have changed little since that time, having not benefited from research improvements over the past two decades. Only recently have pulse and legume varieties, which can help regenerate soils when cropped between wheat, barley and other cereals, been released.

Varieties of cereals resistant to drought, salinity and diseases are needed. Nineveh is the leading crop producing Governate in northern Iraq. ICARDA has an extensive collection of suitable germplasm possessing disease and stress tolerance and resistance characteristics to match cropping conditions found in this, and neighbouring, Governates. Identifying and disseminating suitable varieties could double production. Testing in Nineveh is identifying agronomic and crop management practices to support the growth of these crops throughout the northern cropping region.

The project is:
identifying, promoting and disseminating amongst farmers in northern Iraq's rainfed cropping regions "best-bet" improved varieties and crop management systems for wheat, barley, pulse and forage legumes, and
introducing, evaluating and selecting improved germplasm for adaptation to rainfed farming systems in northern Iraq.

"Best-bet" varieties and systems
Compile farmers' practices and production constraints for baseline survey and analysis by agro-climatic zones undertaken.
Compile existing information on potentially relevant technologies
Sites selected (including farms) and established for demonstrations
Monitoring and evaluation with farmer groups to identify preferences and adoption constraints
Farmer field days to disseminate practices and extension materials for identified options

Improved germplasm
Identify potential varieties from Iraq, ICARDA and Australia for evaluation
Evaluate selected lines at one research station or site in each of three agro-climatic zones
Select best lines and evaluate further on research stations and farmer fields with farmer groups after Year 1 and 2
Register and release promising lines

Cropping systems management
Identify and prioritise relevant production constraints not covered elsewhere in this or other projects
Undertake and evaluate on-station research into management options
Implement farmer-managed on-farm trials in years 2 and 3
Successful options incorporated into farmer field days and extension materials

Build Iraqi capacity
Utilise relevant on the job training and short courses (3-4 weeks) and where appropriate visits to ICARDA and Australian partners for germplasm evaluation, cropping systems management, seed production and quality control and integrated weed, pest and disease management
Support participation of Iraqi project personnel in relevant regional or international workshops and conferences to build networks