Syria
June 2010

Source: Seed Info No. 39, June 2010

The National Committee for Variety Release (NCVR), formed under Decree No 67 of 30 October 2002, is composed of representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (MAAR) and its affiliated Directorates of Plant Production, Plant Protection, Agricultural Extension, Statistics and Planning, and Agricultural Economics and Investment as well as GSCAR, GOSM and universities (Aleppo, Damascus, Tishreen). NCVR members recommended the release of two durum wheat varieties (Douma 41008 and Acsad 1229) by MAAR in Syria.

Douma 41009, developed in cooperation with the ICARDA, was released as Cham 9 for rianfed areas in Zone 1 of Al-Hasakeh, Aleppo, Daraa, Idleb and Tartus governorates. The average yield was 4440 kg ha-1, 7% higher than two standard varieties, Bohouth7 and Bohouth 11 and 12% higher than Douma 1, in Al Hasakeh, Aleppo and Tartus governorates. It has good agronomic characteristics such as early maturity, good plant height, resistance to lodging and shattering, and tolerance to diseases such as rusts and Septoria.

ACSAD 1229 was developed in collaboration with ACSAD and released as Douma 3 for rainfed areas of Zone 2 in Aleppo, Daraa, Hama, Idleb and Raqqa governorates. Average productivity was 2328 kg ha-1, i.e. out yielding Douma1 by 16%, Cham 5 by 10%, Cham 3 by 15% and Haurani by 32%. It is early maturing and lodging resistant, with high protein percentage, and specific weight and crystalline; and resistance to yellow rust, stem rust and tolerance leaf rust.

Website: http://www.icarda.org

Published: June 15, 2010