Short description of the best practice

Such a strategy is based on four components: locally adapted genetic resources (landraces), farmer’s knowledge and participation, integration of plant breeding and crop management (agronomy, soil management, disease and pests management), and respect of farmers' rights. |

Location

Iran; provinces of Semnan, Kermanshah and Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari provinces. We are going to start with Fars Province, Qazvin Province, Khorassan Province and eventually Qom Province .

If the location has well defined boundaries, specify its extension in hectares:

30000.0

Estimated population living in the location:

200000.0

Brief description of the natural environment within the specified location.

Climate is mediterranean with cold winters and hot summers.The mean annual precipitation ranges between 150mm-350mm.Most of the precipitation occures during the fall and early spring.It is charecterized by consecutive droughts and occurance of critical climatic conditions.
The location is covered almost by plains which is suitable for irrigated and rainfed agriculture from point of topography. generaly, the lands with less than 15% slopes are suitable for rainfed agriculture.|
Soil is composed of gypsic and calcic minerals which is typical of arid and semi-arid lands.Hot and dry desert soils usually contain rock and gravel, creating coarse soil with good draining. Semiarid deserts have finer soil containing loose rock, gravel  sand with low salt and low soil humidity.

Prevailing socio-economic conditions of those living in the location and/or nearby

The main income sources are agriculture and animal husbandry and local communities are heavily dependent upon low-yield agriculture
Most of the agricultural lands belong to village cooperative but there are some private farmlands as well.
Those living in the location and nearby normally are low-income farmers and villagers with an average income of 2500000 IRR annually

On the basis of which criteria and/or indicator(s) (not related to The Strategy) the proposed practice and corresponding technology has been considered as 'best'?

During the most recent droughts in the Near East (in 2000 and 2008, when countries such as Syria and Iran after years as exporting countries had to import millions of tons of wheat and barley, several farmers reported that only those who kept their landraces were able to have a harvestable crop.|

Main problems addressed by the best practice

Varieties selected in experimental stations often do not fit the needs of resource poor farmers and therefore new varieties developed using conventional breeding are either rarely adopted by smallholder farmers in marginal areas or, if adopted, often result in disastrous consequences.This could be aggrivated during droughts as experienced in 2002-2008 and theatens the regional and global food security. |

Outline specific land degradation problems addressed by the best practice

Planting experimental varieties in farmers' fields rather than planing only in research stations, we are more likely to find varieties that are adapted to poor soils, and to increase biodiversity in farmers' fields by identifying varieties that suit each micro-climate.

Specify the objectives of the best practice

Breeding varieties that are better suited to diverse target environments, and better adapted to drought and climate change.
|Adoption: new varieties adopted by farmers
|Institutional: policy makers and scientists show interest in PPB
|Farmers’ skills and empowerment: the interactive nature of the PPB programs improves farmers’ knowledge, their ability to negotiate, and their dignity
|Biodiversity: different varieties have selected in different areas in the country, in response to different environmental constraints and users’ needs|Environmental protection:decrease in fertilizers and pesticides in croplands aimed at preventing ecosystem degradation and improving the sustainability of water resources |Improvement the socio-economic status of the locaion and the subsistance of the local people

Brief description of main activities, by objective

b) Incorporating landraces (indigenous varieties) in breeding programmes: Landrace collections of crops planted, multiplied and evaluated by farmers and breeders to select the best ones to incorporate into breeding programmes. |c) Evolutionary breeding: large populations resulting from a mixture of segregating populations (F2) grown at locations chosen together with farmers for being affected by one or more of the abiotic and biotic stresses on  yield and quality.  to evolve under  forces of nature and artificial selection
a) Participatory Plant Breeding: In the first year of a typical PPB program, farmers will start with roughly 100 different lines. Following selection after the first year’s harvest they will select the best lines to be replanted again the next year. This process continues for about 4 years to arrive|

Short description and technical specifications of the technology

PPB is a particular approach to breeding, using approporiate technology.It aims to find varieties that are adapted to poor soils,  to increase biodiversity in  fields by identifying varieties that best suit each micro-climate and diverse target environments, and better adapted to drought and climate change..
Breeding varieties that are better suited to diverse target environments, and better adapted to drought and climate change.planting experimental varieties in farmers' fields rather than only in research stations, we are more likely to find varieties that are adapted to poor soils, and to increase bi|

Name and address of the institution developing the technology

The model first used in Iran was developed at ICARDA and is being implemented in Iran with the cooperation with the cooperation of Jihad-e Agriculture Organisation of Kermanshah province, the Dryland Agriculture Research Institute (DARI), Cenesta,  the Group for the Sustainable Developmentof Garmsar|Agricultural Research and Education Organization(AREO) Ministry of Jihad-Agriclture-Tehran-Iran

Was the technology developed in partnership?

Yes

List the partners:

The model first used in Iran was developed at ICARDA and is being implemented in Iran with the cooperation with the Jihad-e Agriculture Organisation of Kermanshah province,|the Dryland Agriculture Research Institute (DARI),|the Institute for the Sustainable Development of Garmsar Plain (a farmers' association).
|Center for Environment Conservation and Sustainable Development  (CENESTA)|Agriculture Research and Education Organization(AREO) Ministry of Jihad-e Agriculture-Iran

Specify the framework within which the technology was promoted

• National initiative – government-led
• National initiative – non-government-led
• International initiative

Was the participation of local stakeholders, including CSOs, fostered in the development of the technology?

Yes

List local stakeholders involved:

Local farmers and villagers|Farmers' associations|Farmes'cooperatives|Research institutes in the concerned provinces |Local communities

For the stakeholders listed above, specify their role in the design, introduction, use and maintenance of the technology, if any.

CENESTA acts as a coordinator of all activities and between the various partners, as well as leading the approach of relating to farmers.  the farmers' organisation takes care of all stages of planting, selection,  harvesting,  gathering and entering data.and MoA coordinates participation of locals|

Was the population living in the location and/or nearby involved in the development of the technology?

Yes

By means of what?

• Participatory approaches

Describe on-site impacts (the major two impacts by category)

Efficient soil management and disease and pests control
Increased role of local communities and farmers through Participatory Plant Breeding
Decrease of fertilizers and pesticides which further help conserve biodiversity and prevent contamination of water resources
improve the soil sustainability
Increased  quality of crops and decreased irrigation need in croplands(4 times) compared with convensional agriculture(11 times)
Control of immigration occurred due to climate change and drought by boosting the efficiency rate of producing agricultural yield in critical times

Describe the major two off-site (i.e. not occurring in the location but in the surrounding areas) impacts

Training of farmers and peasants as well as the participatory activities and processes in the project site have created an enabling environment out of the site in the nearby regions for developing such initiatives
Decrease in exploitation of deep and semi-deep wells due to PPB techniques and drough tresistant  varieties that are best adapted to poor soils and harsh climate, has had positive impact on decreasing water demand and as a result increasing water level and recharging the water tables in the region|

Impact on biodiversity and climate change

Explain the reasons:

The farmers taking part in PPB have to select varieties that better adapt themselves with ecosystem and the environment .Therefore, they always give priority to water requirement of the varieties rather soly their yield per hectare.|
Identification of local varieties of agricultural products which is one of the primary goals of the PPB, is directly related to the conservation of biodiversity of native germplasms of agricultures products and preservation of genetic reserves so far germplams of 70 varieties of barly are collected.|

Has a cost-benefit analysis been carried out?

Has a cost-benefit analysis been carried out?

Yes

Specify:

The cost-benefit analysis shows  water in arid and semi-arid areas is a  expensive implement in agriculture when determining  costs of production.Therefore, in PPB in Kermanshah in 2008 by decreasing irrigation from 11  to 4 times as well as fertilizer and pesticides the product is very competetive.|

Was the technology disseminated/introduced to other locations?

Was the technology disseminated/introduced to other locations?

Yes

Where?

Semnan province|Chaharmahal - Bahktiyari province|Fars province|Qazvin province|Khorasan province

Were incentives to facilitate the take up of the technology provided?

Were incentives to facilitate the take up of the technology provided?

Yes

Specify which type of incentives:

• Policy or regulatory incentives (for example, related to market requirements and regulations, import/export, foreign investment, research & development support, etc)
• Financial incentives (for example, preferential rates, State aid, subsidies, cash grants, loan guarantees, etc)
• Fiscal incentives (for example, exemption from or reduction of taxes, duties, fees, etc)

Can you identify the three main conditions that led to the success of the presented best practice/technology?

The flexibility of monitoring and assessment by farmers rather than research stations, is one of the main conditions that led to the success of PPB which makes it replicable elsewhere with some level of adaptation. |
Emphasis on planting local varieties that farmers know  and tested before in the region which are also more resistant to climatic changes like drought and lack of precipitation and hot and cold weatheris one of the main conditions that led to the success of PPB which makes it replicable elsewhere .
Establishing CBOs and development of participatory processes is one of the main conditions that led to the success of PPB which makes it replicable elsewhere with some level of adaptation.

Replicability

In your opinion, the best practice/technology you have proposed can be replicated, although with some level of adaptation, elsewhere?

Yes

At which level?

• Local
• Sub-national
• National
• Subregional
• Regional
• International

Related to human resources

Inviting farmers to plant breeding programs,has led to wide participation and real partnership of farmers and their families especially women in the DLDD-related activities |Research should not only carried out by research stations without involving farmers in the breeding process, and planting experimental varieties in farmers' fields. it is urgent to deploy on the ground a dynamic and inexpensive strategy which will quickly enhance the adaptation of crops to climate change and hence mitigate the impact of climate change

Related to financial aspects

It is important that governments establish funds within PPB projects to support farmers to promote locally adapted genetic resources (landraces) resistant to high levels of abiotic stresses for attaining environmental sustainability and food security,rather than spending huge amount of money annually in form of insurance coverage for  compensation of agricultural damages to farmers without planning for adaptation to cope with future challenges.|

Related to technical aspects

we have to find varieties that are adapted to poor soils, and to increase biodiversity in farmers' fields by identifying varieties that suit each micro-climate.In this connection adaptation is of high imprtance in future plannings and would be welcomed by wide participation of farmersthe interactive nature of the PPB programs improves farmers’ knowledge, their ability to negotiate, and their dignity.|Involving farmers in the breeding process, and planting experimental varieties in farmers' fields rather than only in research stations which is surrounded by fragile desert ecosystem and marginal lands are mor, and better adapted to drought and climate change.e likely to find varieties that are adapted to poor soils, and to increase biodiversity in farmers' fields and     

Additional questions of Leg 1

Target area size/administrative unit: 2500000.0