Improved livelihoods of small farmers in Iraq through IPM and

OF

Presented by

Nasri HaddadRC, WARP

IFAD/ICARDA Knowledge Exchange Workshop, 26-29 October 2009

Production Systems Constraints

1- Pests Infestation and their threats

Date palm based production system (Middle and South of Iraq)

Yield and quality reduced.

Due to insect infestation: date moth, Dubas, stem borers, and Ghobar mite.

Wheat-Food legumes based system (In northern Iraq)

Wheat rust diseases cause serious yield reduction.

Sunn Pest causing serious wheat yield and quality losses

Sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps,

Chickpea aschochyta blight is devastating disease

Resulted n complete crop failure

Therefore, to sustain the system and improve farmers livelihood:

The present insecticide-based strategies in the date palm system and the foliar diseases of wheat and chickpea need to be replaced with an integrated pest management (IPM) approach.

2. Soil Deterioration

Soils in date palm and cereal based systems have deteriorated over years both in terms of physical and chemical properties, resulted in low crop productivity and accelerated soil erosion and the depletion of organic matter.

OF will addressed by the project

Several alternative and environmentally sound technologies need to be introduced.

Project Components

Component 1: Technology

Component 2: Socioeconomic and Policy

Component 3: Farmer Empowerment

Component 4: Capacity Enhancement

Technology Component

Testing, refinement and transfer of technology packages for irrigated date palm and wheat-food legume-based production systems

Test , refine and demonstrate integrated control measures for Stem borers and Lesser date moth under field and laboratory conditions.

Potential Technologies

Demonstrate on-farm integrated control measures for Ascochyta blight in chickpea and Septoria and Tan spot diseases in wheat

Integrated control measures for Sunn Pest and rust management in wheat under field and laboratory conditions (Entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana, egg parasites of Sunn Pest, biological trap nurseries etc.).

Demonstrate on-farm inter-row cultivation for weed control in chickpea and lentil to eliminate herbicide use

Test inoculation with effective Rhizobium strains for legume incorporation into wheat-based production systems

Demonstrate optimal organic fertilization options (compost, green and animal manure, by-product of oil industry, commercial bio-fertilizers etc.)

Socioeconomic and Policy ComponentImpact assessment and development of enabling policies, institutional options and mechanisms for effective adoption of improved technology packages.

Farmers Empowerment Component

Small farmers will be empowered through adoption of improved IPM and OF options.

FFS sessions will be at the farmers’ fields.

Capacity Enhancement Component

Enhanced capacities of extension and research staff and institutions through:

In-country and out-country training courses, workshops, consultant meetings and on-the-job training programs.

Project Progress in Last Six MonthsPreparation for project implementation

Project inception workshop and Steering Committee was held at ICARDA 25-27 January 2009.

National inception workshop was organized at the Ministry of Agriculture in Baghdad

Three local inception workshops were also organized, one at each of the three project sites

Al QoushAl Qoush

Saqlawiya

Saqlawiya

AboGraibAboGraibMadaainMadaain

DiwaniyaDiwaniyaDiwaniya N Diwaniya N

Selection of Project Sites

Review of available information on Date Palm pests and IPM options

Field survey of major chickpea diseases: ascochyta blight and wilt

Assessment of the status of Sunn Pest on wheat in Iraq.

In-country training course was conducted in Iraq on wheat rust survey methods.

In ICARDA two training-the-trainers courses were conducted in July 2009; one on farmer field schools and the second on survey techniques and economics.

A training course on composting will be conducted in Iraq on November.

Thank You

The overall goal

The improved livelihoods and empowerment of small farmers through the promotion of sustainable agricultural production systems in Iraq.

The immediate purpose

Increase productivity of date palm and cereal-food legume based production systems through adoption by farmers of improved technology packages based on IPM and OF.