Background

Due to the scarcity of water resources and the low and sparse rainfall in Syria, there is a need for the on-farm improvement of water-use efficiency and rationalization of water investment to meet the increasing demand on food resources and to conserve food security.

Supplemental irrigation is applied to all the winter crops, particularly wheat. The crops water requirements are met in periods of low or no rainfall by providing specific amounts of water in specific growing periods of the crop. 1-3 irrigations per season would be enough.

The objective of supplemental irrigation is to increase and stabilize the productivity. It also increases the water use efficiency and the output of one cubic meter of irrigation water. There are, however, a number of questions to answer:

      i.      Should the whole gap that exists between the needed water and rainfall be covered?

    ii.      Should only a percentage of the shortage be covered through limited irrigations?

  iii.      What is the crop phenologic phase most susceptible to water shortage?

  iv.      What is the recommended water amount to be applied to get the highest efficiency of irrigation water?

Within this framework, the natural resource research administration of GCSAR carried out several important research activities that answer many enquiries related to supplemental irrigation of wheat. As a result of many factors, research activities were not optimally applied or adopted by farmers.

Objectives

The development objective of the project is crystallized by strengthening the government goal of achieving a sustainable increase of agricultural production and rural income through the optimum use of available water resources.

      i.      Developing the agricultural practices and irrigation/fertilization methods suitable for supplemental irrigation

    ii.      Improving the wheat output and yield stability

  iii.      Increasing the available water resources efficiency and getting the best irrigation output.

  iv.      Enhancing the capacities and institutional efficiency of available water resources through research, administration, monitoring and analysis stations.

Outputs

      i.      Stability and increase in winter crop production.

    ii.      Increased efficiency of available water resources in stability zones I and II.

Site Selection

The sites were selected in the 1^st and 2^nd agro-ecological zones in wheat growing area, with annual precipitation average over 350 mm and not less than 300 mm. four sites were chosen in two provinces as fallows;

-     Dar`aa province: One site called Gellin, located in Dar`aa country side

Activities

The mission could be implemented in three directions:

      i.      Application of research outcomes from farmer fields in stability zones I and II.

    ii.      Carrying out field days and holding extension symposia in farmer fields to show the impact of supplemental irrigation on increasing the wheat productivity.

  iii.      Carrying out socioeconomic studies on the adoption of supplemental irrigation by farmers and on the mechanism to disseminate this technique.

Methodology

      i.      Creating the institutional tasks and building human capacities needed to implement the project

    ii.      Receiving the farmers' feedback on using supplemental irrigation for winter cropping and its role in increasing the output

  iii.      Creating pilot areas for the application of supplemental irrigation. The areas shall be an example to follow.

  iv.      Socioeconomic studies

Time Frame - Syria