September 2013: In the September edition of its monthly update, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) highlights the impacts of its work on conservation agriculture in Iraq, on wheat disease in Central Asia and on integrated pest management.

ICARDA also describes the efforts of its Capacity Development Unit, which has completed a series of trainings for trainers to enhance the skills of researchers in extension staff in northern Iraq. Trainings included foundational information on land and water management. Also in Iraq, ICARDA notes the value of conservation agriculture in increasing crop productivity, as well as the growth in the practice over recent years. ICARDA’s support in this regard included assistance with locally-built seeders, farmer field days and efforts to extend successes to other Iraqi provinces.

On combating wheat disease, ICARDA describes its collaboration with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and national wheat programmes in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The collaboration includes seed multiplication for high yielding, yellow-rust resistant wheat varieties, as well as germplasm exchanges for the global breeding community. For the sustainable management of pests, ICARDA held a training event with participants across the Middle East and North Africa on the implementation of Integrated Pest Management.

ICARDA and CIMMYT are members of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). [Publication: What’s New at ICARDA, September 2013]