"Wheat Champions” Campaign for Scaling up the Bundled Solution for Irrigated Wheat in Egypt

Samar Attaher, Krishna Devkota, Mina Kumari Devkota Wasti, Vinay Nangia, Rehab Abdalrhman, Soubheay El Diam, Amal Ismail, Maher El Maghraby. (31/12/2025). "Wheat Champions” Campaign for Scaling up the Bundled Solution for Irrigated Wheat in Egypt. Beirut, Lebanon: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).

Abstract

The “Wheat Champions” Campaign report documents a strategic collaboration between ICARDA, the Agricultural Research Center (ARC), and the Central Administration of Agricultural Extension Services (CAAES) to scale up climate-smart, resource-efficient wheat production in Egypt. Implemented during the 2025/2026 wheat season under CGIAR Science Programs (S4I and SFP), the campaign addresses Egypt’s growing challenges of climate stress, water scarcity, soil degradation, and rising production costs within a fully irrigated agricultural system. Wheat is a cornerstone of Egypt’s food security, yet national production continues to lag behind demand despite relatively high average yields. To close this gap, the campaign promotes an integrated “bundled solution” for irrigated wheat, developed and validated through multi-season research and farmer field evaluations. The bundle combines improved, stress-tolerant varieties; certified seed; optimal planting windows; minimum tillage; precision land leveling; soil testing; efficient irrigation and fertilization; bio-fertilizers; integrated pest management; and appropriate mechanization practices. Prior assessments show that full adoption can increase yields by 10–15% while reducing water use, fertilizer inputs, labor demand, and on-farm energy consumption. The campaign operationalizes scaling through three core mechanisms: (i) establishment of demonstration fields comparing bundled practices with farmers’ practices across eight governorates in old and new lands, (ii) extension workshops and farmer field days reaching hundreds of farmers and extension staff, and (iii) Farmers’ Field Schools delivering season-long, practice-oriented training. Supporting knowledge products in Arabic and a structured digital monitoring system enable systematic data collection on agronomic practices, inputs, and outcomes. Overall, the “Wheat Champions” Campaign strengthens the link between research, extension, and farmers, providing a practical, evidence-based pathway to enhance wheat productivity, improve resource use efficiency, and build climate resilience in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030 and national food security priorities.