1. Stephen Loss, Atef Haddad, Yaseen Khalil,
Sardar Sami* and Khasro Mament*.
* Ministry of Agriculture & Water Resources, Erbil.
Promotion of Conservation Agriculture
in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region

2. Outline
What is Conservation Agriculture (CA)?
What are the benefits?
Farm Machinery Survey
Training courses in IKR
Field Demonstrations in IKR
Future of CA in Iraq
Ankawa Research Station

3. Progress: 2005 to 2012ACIAR Project Impact 2005-2014
Good start in develop promoting zero tillage in Iraq & Syria
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
NumberofFarmers
Areaofzero-tillage(ha)
Iraq Area
Syria Area
Iraq Farmers
Syria Farmers

4. CA adopted on >120 mill ha, esp. in USA, Argentina, Brazil, Australia & Canada
Conservation Agriculture
+earlysowing CONSERVATION
AGRICULTURE
ZeroTillage
SoilCover
DiverseRotations
Increased yield
Decreased fuel cost
Decreased labor cost
Improved soil fertility
Decreased erosion
Less greenhouse gas
Early/timely sowing
Greater Long Term Profits
? ?
?
?

5. Benefits of CAMeanGrainYieldkg/ha
Mean yield early vs late over four years* at Tel Hadya, Syria
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
Wheat Chickpea Barley Lentil
CT Late
ZT Early
18% 20% 12% 15%
2008/09 – 2011/12

6. “CA” in Iraq and Syria
CONSERVATION
AGRICULTURE
ZeroTillage
&
EarlySowing
SoilCover
DiverseRotations
Increased yield
Decreased fuel cost
Decreased labor cost
Improved soil fertility
Decreased erosion
Less greenhouse gas
Early/timely sowing
Greater Long Term Profits

7. Benefits of CA
Season No fields* Mean yield ZT
t/ha
Mean yield CT
t/ha
Increase
%
2008/09 42 2.50 2.14 17
2009/10 163 1.66 1.39 19
2010/11 358 2.29 2.16 6
2010/11 103 0.55 0.00 ∞
Mean farmer yields under ZT plus early sowing and nearby CT fields in Syria.
* Mostly wheat & barley, with some lentil & chickpea
Farmer Testing of ZT in Syria

8. Farmer Surveys
Ninevah - Abdulradh et al. 2012
338 farms in 2011:
• technical efficiency increased from 75 – 87% with ZT,
• or getting 12% more production with same level of inputs.
Syrian - Yigezu et al. 2014
820 farms in 2011:
• 465 kg/ha (31%) more yield with ZT,
• fuel and labor cost reduced, and
• net farm income increased by US$194/ha.
If half of Iraq’s wheat & barley (≈ 3.2 mill ha)
switched to ZT this would produce an
extra US$300 million p.a.

9. IKR Machinery Survey
Aim: Better understand cropping systems and machinery.
Survey developed and pre-tested with surveyors (Aug/Sept 2013).
Data collection: 60 farms in Erbil, 20 in Duhok, 10 in Sulaimania
10 in Garmiyan.
Main outcomes:
• farm size varied enormously 25 - 7,000 donums
• 46% farmers had no formal education
• almost all farmers owned a tractor & “seeder”
• 11% farmers spread seed & then incorp.
• 12% tractors < 70 HP
• wheat/barley dominate, with some fallow
• low awareness of CA
• interest in testing ZT
Training surveyors, Sulaimania

10. HSAD CA Training Courses
1) Introduction to CA & Participatory Extension
October 28-31, Erbil
16 researchers & extensionists - Erbil, Duhok, Sulaimania &
Garmiyan.

11. HSAD CA Training Courses
2) Zero-tillage Machinery
November 4-7, Erbil
13 MoAWR staff & farmers - Erbil, Duhok, Sulaimania, Garmiyan.

12. CA Training Courses
Participatory Extension (in collaboration with ACIAR project)
October 2013 (Erbil) & April 2014 (Amman)
4 extensionists - Erbil, Duhok, Sulaimania, Garmiyan.

13. CA Training Courses
ZT Seeder Conversion (in collaboration with ACIAR project)
September 15-18, 2013 (Erbil)
4 MoAWR staff - Erbil

14. Supply of ZT Seeders
After a review of ZT seeders suppliers, Rama (Jordan) was
selected – relatively simple, low cost, short delivery time.
Unfortunately, delivery of six seeders was delayed until mid-Dec.,
too late to use for farmer demonstrations.
Prototype test in Jordan Sept. 2013 Seeders in Ankawa, Dec. 2013

15. Zero-tillage Demonstrations in IKR
Barkarka (Erbil)
Rama Seeder Conversion
Mr. Kameran Ibrahim
8 Nov. 2013
ZT Demonstration
15 farmers
28 Nov. 2013

16. Zero-tillage Demonstrations in IKR
Bardarash (Dohuk)
Nardi Seeder Conversion
Mr. Nawzad Younis
9 Nov. 2013
ZT Demonstration
10 farmers
23 Nov. 2013

17. Zero-tillage Demonstrations in IKR
Jam Jamal R.S. (Sulaimania)
John Shearer Seeder Conversion
17 Nov. 2013
ZT Demonstration
17 Nov. 2013
5 farmers

18. Zero-tillage Demonstrations in IKR
Kalar (Garmiyan)
ZT Seeder Demonstration
10 farmers
18 Nov. 2013
Seeder was also used by four
neighboring farmers.
In all demonstrations, ZT areas
established well and looked
better than conventional areas,
Yields have not yet been reported.

19. HSAD CA Achievements
Identified that CA has much to offer IKR, like other areas of Iraq.
Increased awareness and capacity of CA among researchers,
extensionists and farmers in IKR.
Desire among researchers, extensionists and farmers to test ZT
more widely.
We hope this will happen in 2014/15 using farmer conversions,
six Rama seeders purchased, and
other seeder suppliers in Mosul and
elsewhere.
ZT seeder prototype, Mosul

20. Future of CA in Iraq ….
Center for CA Research – University of Mosul
Plus initiative to expand CA into central and southern Iraq in
irrigated areas.

21. Thank you: shukran: zor sipas