ACSAD/ a Training course on the application of Conservation Agriculture Systems
Today, under the patronage of His Excellency, the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Eng. Hassan Qatana; the Arab Center ACSAD has held a training course in the field of conservation agriculture applications and water harvesting technologies for the benefit of fifteen trainees from the Departments of Agriculture Extension and Plant Production in the agriculture ministry in the aim of developing the experiences, knowledge, and skills of the trainees in the accurate application of the conservation agriculture system, explaining its components and importance as an alternative agricultural system to the traditional one; To upgrade the knowledgable level and scientific-practical skills that ensure the desired objectives of applying the accurate agriculture conservation system are achieved, which constitutes a solution to the problems that led to reducing the efficiency of the productive agriculture system. This is in implementing the Framework Scientific Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform and the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Drylands ACSAD.
His Excellency, the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Eng Muhammad Hassan Qatana, expressed his gratitude for the efforts exerted by ACSAD – administration, researchers, experts, and workers – to upgrade the agricultural reality in Syria and the Arab world through the workshops, conferences, training courses, and scientific applied research. He stressed the importance of integration, participation, and cooperation among Arab countries in various areas, especially in agriculture.
He also confirmed the importance of this training course on the applications of conservation agriculture. He said that conservation agriculture was a significant issue should its application be enhanced in front of the critical challenges such as land degradation, water resources shortage and so forth from the natural and climatic factors witnessed by the Arab region in the current circumstances.
The Minister of Agriculture explained that the research and studies in conservation agriculture had started in Syria in cooperation with all research bodies, agriculture scientific research, ACSAD, and ICARDA. The required maps had been prepared, and the appropriate areas had been identified to apply this agriculture, pointing out the importance of using modern technologies in this field.
His Excellency, Dr Nasr Edin Obaid, the Director-General of the Arab Center for the Studies Of Arid Zones and Drylands ACSAD, confirmed in a speech that this training course came as a completion to the workshop implemented by the Arab Center ACSAD in the Agriculture Faculty in Damascus University which targeted about a hundred trainees from graduate and undergraduate students at universities of different disciplines related to the workshop’s issues. This training course aims to develop the knowledge and skills related to applying conservation agriculture systems as an integrated agricultural bundle and the water-harvesting technologies to ensure the desired benefits are achieved in our beloved country Syria.
He said: ” land degradation resultant from agricultural intensification, and water scarcity due to the climatic changes, led to a reduction in land productivity. This coincided with the rising fuel prices and agricultural production inputs, which led to an increase the agricultural production costs and a decrease in the profit margin for the farmers”. It was therefore required to apply a conservation agriculture system which is one of the appropriate solutions. It depends on three main components: no-tillage for the soil, constant coverage to the soil surface wither by the green-coverage crops or plant waste, and applying the proper agricultural rotation.
Dr Obaid also demonstrated that the international and Arab studies indicated the importance of applying conservation agriculture to improve the management of land and crop, reduce soil and water pollution, mitigate the sensitivity of the agricultural soil to erosion, adopt the fuel and chemical
