The General Organization for Agricultural Research, under the Ministry of Agriculture, is working to expand its network of climate stations and upgrade their equipment, thereby enhancing geographical coverage and providing more comprehensive and accurate data that contribute to determining the water needs of crops and improving irrigation programs.
Manhal Al-Zoubi, Director of the Natural Resources Research Department at the Organization, clarified that the number of operational climate stations is six, distributed across the catchment areas of Homs, Aleppo, Hama, the Coast, and rural Damascus, noting the need to expand the network to include Deir Ezzor, Ar-Raqqa, Al-Hasakah, and Daraa.
Accurate Data and Equipment Needing Updates
Al-Zoubi explained that the stations provide accurate data including temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind speed, and evaporation, forming a fundamental basis for studying crop water needs and preparing irrigation programs that suit their requirements.
He pointed out that most stations need to update their equipment and transition to modern electronic systems, explaining that the implementation of rehabilitation plans is linked to the availability of funding through existing capacities or international grants.
Rationalizing Irrigation Water
Al-Zoubi noted that utilizing climate data reflects on raising field irrigation efficiency and rationalizing water use, by developing tools and preparing maps for crop water needs in supplementary irrigation programs.
He highlighted the importance of training agricultural extension workers and promoting the use of tools that help farmers, pointing to the establishment of baseline guidelines for issuing an electronic farmer card containing land data and the amount of water required to be withdrawn.
Studying Climate Changes
Al-Zoubi emphasized the importance of analyzing climate changes at the governorate level and estimating the water needs of basic crops, explaining that the Organization has developed specific irrigation schedules for each crop based on the approved agricultural plan.
International Cooperation and Future Plans
He clarified that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations provided a modern climate station at the Neshabiyeh Research Station, pointing to future plans to equip research stations with electronic climate stations and link them to the General Directorate of Meteorology.
The Organization had announced in June 2025 the allocation of a program to calculate the actual water needs of plants, based on historical climate data and taking into account land area, irrigation method, climatic conditions, soil type, and planting and harvesting dates.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
Comments (0)