Farming Systems Research at ICARDA

Abstract

The International Center for Agricultural Research for the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is located in Syria. Its headquarters are in Tel Hadya, a 948 ha farm 30 km south of Aleppo. ICARDA was founded in 1977 and had its administrative headquarters in Beirut until all offices were moved to Tel Hadya in 1981. Aleppo province was chosen as the center of research activities because it is possible to observe different environmental conditions within the limits of an area covered by a 100km radius. For example, rainfall (long-term averages) reduces from 477 mm in the northwest at Jindiress near the Turkish border to 219 mm at Khanasser, 100 km to the southeast. Tel Hadya, in the middle averages 389 mm. Similar variations can be observed in soils, social conditions, etc. But, for rainfed agricultural production in the Middle East and North Africa, climatic variability is considered a crucial constraint. Hence, Aleppo province provides quite a suitable environment in which agricultural research for diverse rainfed conditions can be conducted. This paper was prepared for the Inter-Center Seminar on Farming Systems Research ICRISAT, India, 17-21 February 1985.