The Ministry of Agriculture announced that yellow corn production in Syria during the current year reached 475,232 tons, compared to 332,573 tons last year, achieving an increase of 42 percent, while local production covers about 50 percent of the country's needs for the crop.
Maher al-Daj, Director of Plant Production at the Ministry of Agriculture, told SANA that the areas planted with yellow corn reached 84,381 hectares, with the average yield per hectare of hybrid varieties reaching about 6 tons. He noted that Raqqa Governorate led the producing regions with 35 percent of the total, followed by Aleppo with 27 percent, and then Al-Hasakah with 13 percent.
For his part, Muhammad al-Naji, Director of Agricultural Economics and Planning at the Ministry, clarified that the planned area for planting yellow corn was 97,000 hectares, with an expected production reaching 551,000 tons, and an average yield of 5,680 kilograms per hectare.
Al-Naji pointed out that the crop is planted in a main season and another intensive season, with Raqqa holding the first rank in terms of the relative importance of the planned area, accounting for 35 percent of the total area, followed by Aleppo with 34 percent, and then Deir Ezzor with 16 percent. He noted that the planned area for the intensive season constitutes 90 percent of the total planned area for yellow corn.
He indicated that the Ministry seeks to raise unit area productivity to reach 7,000 kilograms per hectare, through the use of higher-yielding varieties. He explained that expanding the cultivation of the crop requires coordination with the Ministry of Energy and the General Authority for Water Resources to determine the availability of necessary water resources, especially in light of climate change conditions.
Regarding the development of local varieties, Razan al-Najjar, Head of the Corn Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, clarified that the department's work is limited to conducting selection trials for inputs received from Arab and international centers, testing them in the local environment, and approving those suitable for the Syrian environment, in addition to implementing breeding and hybridization programs to develop high-yielding varieties with good technical specifications.
Al-Najjar confirmed that there are no other projects or procedures within the department's work, noting that the varieties approved by the General Organization for Scientific Research – Crop Research Administration include the single hybrid "Basel 1" and the double hybrid "Basel 2", in addition to the varieties "Ghouta 1" and "Ghouta 82" and "Salamiyah 1".
She explained that the single hybrid "Basel 1" was approved in 2000, with a productivity of 7.7 tons per hectare, reaching 10.290 tons under research conditions. The plant's lifespan ranges between 100 and 105 days, with medium resistance to smuts.
As for the double hybrid "Basel 2", it was approved in the same year, with a productivity of 7.4 tons per hectare. The plant's lifespan ranges between 102 and 107 days, with medium resistance to smuts.
According to al-Najjar, the variety "Ghouta 1" was approved in 1989, and includes multiple French and Romanian genetic origins. It is characterized by early flowering and high productivity, making it suitable for the intensive season and early maturation, requiring 102–107 days to mature. Its average productivity is 6.34 tons per hectare, reaching 8.750 tons under research conditions. It responds to fertilization and irrigation, with a thousand-seed weight of 265 grams, and is resistant to smuts.
As for the variety "Ghouta 82", which was approved in 1982 and introduced into wide cultivation for both the main and early intensive seasons, the plant's lifespan ranges between 115 and 125 days. Its plants are characterized by average height and green leaves with medium curvature, while its cobs are of medium size and contain 14–16 rows of slightly wrinkled yellow grains. Its average productivity is 6.35 tons per hectare, reaching 9.560 tons under research conditions. It responds to irrigation and soil fertility, with a thousand-seed weight of 270 grams, and is resistant to smuts.
Regarding the variety "Salamiyah 1", it was approved in 2014. Its grains are characterized by white color and wrinkling. The plant's lifespan ranges between 115 and 125 days. Its average productivity is 6.5 tons per hectare, reaching 8.89 tons under research conditions. It responds to irrigation and soil fertility, with a thousand-seed weight of 240 grams, and is resistant to smuts.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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