Technologies

Adding Soil [Syrian Arab Republic]

Creation: 03/10/2011 2:04 p.m.
Update: 08/02/2019 4:34 p.m.
Compiler: Liesbeth Colen
Editor: –
Reviewers: Fabian Ottiger, Alexandra Gavilano

Taghir al Turbe (arabic), akhelete (kurdish)

technologies_1004 - Syrian Arab Republic

View sections

Expand all

Completeness: 73%

1. General information

2. Description of the SLM Technology

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

To add red (fertile, nutrient rich) valley soil to degraded white soil on slopes (in olive orchards)

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Red soil is taken from valley fields, mines and construction work, transported to the slopes and added around the stem of each tree, ca. 2 m^3 per tree. Not done in the rainy season and only when there is soil available and spare time.

Purpose of the Technology: increase the soil depth and add nutrients in response to erosion and nutrient mining.

Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: every five to ten years depending on rainfall and slope.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

Media Gallery

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

Country:

Syrian Arab Republic

Region/ State/ Province:

Aleppo

Further specification of location:

Idleb, Affrin

Comments:

Comments:

Total area covered by the SLM Technology is 0.04 km2.

Idleb no information available, probably 1.5 times more than Affrin

2.6 Date of implementation

If precise year is not known, indicate approximate date:

less than 10 years ago (recently)

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

through land users' innovation

Comments (type of project, etc.):

Idleb (region around Harem), 70 km from Aleppo, West

3. Classification of the SLM Technology

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

improve production
reduce, prevent, restore land degradation
create beneficial economic impact

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

Cropland

Annual cropping
Tree and shrub cropping

Tree and shrub cropping - Specify crops:

olive

Number of growing seasons per year:

Comments:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Water erosion on hill slopes, poor soil quality (vulnerable to erosion and lack of nutrients), exageratet tillage in olive orchards

Major land use problems (land users’ perception): loss of top soil due to water erosion, poor soil quality, difficult to do contour tillage because of steep slopes

3.4 Water supply

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:

rainfed

Comments:

Water supply: Also mixed rainfed - irrigated

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

integrated soil fertility management

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

soil erosion by water

Wt: loss of topsoil/ surface erosion
Wg: gully erosion/ gullying
Wm: mass movements/ landslides

chemical soil deterioration

Cn: fertility decline and reduced organic matter content (not caused by erosion)

Comments:

Main type of degradation addressed: Wt: loss of topsoil / surface erosion, Wg: gully erosion / gullying

Secondary types of degradation addressed: Wm: mass movements / landslides, Cn: fertility decline and reduced organic matter content

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

reduce land degradation
restore/ rehabilitate severely degraded land

Comments:

Main goals: rehabilitation / reclamation of denuded land

Secondary goals: mitigation / reduction of land degradation

4. Technical specifications, implementation activities, inputs, and costs

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

{'additional_translations': {}, 'content_type': None, 'preview_image': '', 'key': 'Technical drawing', 'value': None, 'template': 'raw'}

Technical specifications (related to technical drawing):

Technical knowledge required for field staff / advisors: low

Technical knowledge required for land users: low

Main technical functions: increase in soil fertility, adding new soil

Secondary technical functions: sediment harvesting

Mulching
Material/ species: red soil
Remarks: depends on point of view, protection for "old"soil from the newly added soil

Mineral (inorganic) fertilizers
Material/ species: red soil
Quantity/ density: 2m^3/tree
Remarks: new soil mixed with the old one increases nutrient

Structural measure: add
Spacing between structures (m): 6 -10
Height of bunds/banks/others (m): 2
Width of bunds/banks/others (m): 3
Length of bunds/banks/others (m): 3

Construction material (earth): red soil

Slope (which determines the spacing indicated above): 0 - 25%

4.2 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

other/ national currency (specify):

syrian pounds

If relevant, indicate exchange rate from USD to local currency (e.g. 1 USD = 79.9 Brazilian Real): 1 USD =:

50.0

Indicate average wage cost of hired labour per day:

5.00

4.3 Establishment activities

	Activity	Timing (season)
1.	digging soil	dry season
2.	transport soil	dry season
3.	distributing soil

4.4 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Labour	ha	1.0	50.0	50.0	100.0
Equipment	Machine use	ha	1.0	50.0	50.0	100.0
Construction material	Earth	ha	1.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
Other	Transport	ha	1.0	100.0	100.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					300.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD					6.0

Comments:

Duration of establishment phase: 12 month(s)

4.5 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Timing/ frequency
1.	digging soil	dry season / once
2.	transport soil	dry season / once
3.	distributing soil	once

4.6 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

Comments:

Machinery/ tools: trolley for transport, machine for digging

for one farmer

4.7 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

labour, distance, transport, probably in the future also value of soil

5. Natural and human environment

5.1 Climate

Annual rainfall

< 250 mm
251-500 mm
501-750 mm
751-1,000 mm
1,001-1,500 mm
1,501-2,000 mm
2,001-3,000 mm
3,001-4,000 mm
> 4,000 mm

Agro-climatic zone

semi-arid

5.2 Topography

Slopes on average:

flat (0-2%)
gentle (3-5%)
moderate (6-10%)
rolling (11-15%)
hilly (16-30%)
steep (31-60%)
very steep (>60%)

Landforms:

plateau/plains
ridges
mountain slopes
hill slopes
footslopes
valley floors

Altitudinal zone:

0-100 m a.s.l.
101-500 m a.s.l.
501-1,000 m a.s.l.
1,001-1,500 m a.s.l.
1,501-2,000 m a.s.l.
2,001-2,500 m a.s.l.
2,501-3,000 m a.s.l.
3,001-4,000 m a.s.l.
> 4,000 m a.s.l.

5.3 Soils

Soil depth on average:

very shallow (0-20 cm)
shallow (21-50 cm)
moderately deep (51-80 cm)
deep (81-120 cm)
very deep (> 120 cm)

Soil texture (topsoil):

medium (loamy, silty)
fine/ heavy (clay)

Topsoil organic matter:

low (<1%)

If available, attach full soil description or specify the available information, e.g. soil type, soil PH/ acidity, Cation Exchange Capacity, nitrogen, salinity etc.

Soil fertility: Very low (ranked 1) and low (ranked 2)
Soil drainage/infiltration: Good
Soil water storage capacity: High

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Market orientation of production system:

commercial/ market

Off-farm income:

10-50% of all income

Relative level of wealth:

average
rich

Level of mechanization:

manual work
mechanized/ motorized

Indicate other relevant characteristics of the land users:

Population density: 10-50 persons/km2
Annual population growth: 2% - 3%
25% of the land users are rich.
50% of the land users are average wealthy.
25% of the land users are poor.
Level of mechanization: Mechanised (ranked 1, tillage) and manual work (ranked 2, harvesting)
Market orientation of production system: export (seasonal)

5.7 Average area of land used by land users applying the Technology

< 0.5 ha
0.5-1 ha
1-2 ha
2-5 ha
5-15 ha
15-50 ha
50-100 ha
100-500 ha
500-1,000 ha
1,000-10,000 ha
> 10,000 ha

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:

individual, titled

Land use rights:

individual

6. Impacts and concluding statements

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

crop production

decreased

increased

Comments/ specify:

20-50% (red on white:63%, white on red: 38%)

risk of production failure

increased

decreased

Comments/ specify:

Young roots are encouraged to grow in the new added pile, but there they are more susceptible for damage (ploughin/frost/heat/diseases)

production area

decreased

increased

Comments/ specify:

In case soil is taken from good valley fields

Income and costs

economic disparities

increased

decreased

Socio-cultural impacts

community institutions

weakened

strengthened

national institutions

weakened

strengthened

SLM/ land degradation knowledge

reduced

improved

Ecological impacts

Soil

soil moisture

decreased

increased

Comments/ specify:

For white on red soil, increased sand content may result in better infiltration and reduces cracks of topsoil, increased moisture in subsoil reported by farmers

nutrient cycling/ recharge

decreased

increased

Comments/ specify:

Adding white soil adds high active CaCO3, which might decrease availabilty of cation nutrients

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

pest/ disease control

decreased

increased

Comments/ specify:

Spreading of soil-borne diseases. Especially Vertcillium Wilt, also Verticillium Dahliae

Other ecological impacts

Topsoil temperature

increased

decreased

Comments/ specify:

Adding white soil on red soil might reduce the temerature (less absorption of sunlight) and therefore the evaporation and also repell insects, but this has not been measured

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

reliable and stable stream flows in dry season

reduced

increased

downstream flooding

increased

reduced

downstream siltation

increased

decreased

Comments/ specify:

Downfields will benefit if erosion is not stopped

groundwater/ river pollution

increased

reduced

wind transported sediments

increased

reduced

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

Short-term returns:

slightly negative

Long-term returns:

positive

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

Short-term returns:

very positive

Long-term returns:

very positive

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?

91-100%

Comments:

100% of land user families have adopted the Technology without any external material support

Comments on spontaneous adoption: estimates

There is a strong trend towards spontaneous adoption of the Technology

Comments on adoption trend: exponential adaption, probably related to the recent (from 2003/2005) increase for olive oil prices and increased construction work

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
fast increase in yield
reverse the effects of erosion

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
reverse the effects of erosion How can they be sustained / enhanced? combine with other conservation technologies (stone bands etc.)
soil that otherwise wouldn't be used can be used in this way How can they be sustained / enhanced? offer free transport of soil by government or other organisation
don't have to apply to the entire field, possibility to keep investment down

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
expensive for the entire field	not

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
it is not sustainable	combine with conservation strategies like terraces, bands, less tillage
soil born disease spreading	soil analysis before adding and if positive either apply quarantine and solarization or leave it

7. References and links

Links and modules

Collapse all

Links