agro-ecological profiles of iran

8/8/2019 Agro-Ecological Profiles of Iran

1/10

Agro-ecological Profiles of Iran

Agricultural science and resource management in tropics and subtropics (ARTS)

Summer Semester 2009

Submitted to: Prof. Dr. Marc Janssen

Submitted by: Mahsa Motlagh

ARTS 2009-2011


2/10

Introduction:

Iran stretches overalmost 1.65 million sq. km ofland and is bordered by Azerbaijan, the Caspian Seaand Turkmenistan to the north,

Afghanistanand Pakistan to the east, the Gulf of Omanand the Persian Gulf to the south,and Iraq and Turkey to the west.

About 52 percent of the country consists of mountains and deserts and some 16 percent has an elevation of more than 2,000 m above

sealevel. The cultivable area is estimated at about 51 million hectares, which is 31 percent of the totalarea.

Above 20 million hectares, or36 percent of the cultivable area,are considered usable foragriculture. Of this area, 12.8 million hecta res

consist ofannual crops and 1.6 million hectares of permanent crops.

According to global statistics,Iran with more than ten mi llion hectares of cultivated land underirrigationranks seventh in the world. At

the same time, more than 8 million hectares ofagriculturallands inIran is subjected to dry farming. Watershed operations, which are

used to protect waterand soil, date back to some 50 years ago.

Rural and Urban population:

The total population is 70 million, of which 41 percent live inruralregions. The average population density is 41 inhabitan ts persq.

km, but it ranges from less than 10 in the eastern part of the country up to more than 150 in Gilan province,located in the Caspian

plain in the north, which is by farthe most densely populated region in the country. In Tehran province, the capital, the po pulation

density reaches 400 inhabitants persq. km.

According to the Populationand Housing Census conducted in Aban 1385(Nov. 2006),Iran has 70495782 pop., the density is 43 per

Km and the annualaverage growth stands at 1.6%. Of the whole population, 50.9% are male (35866362) and 49.1% female

(34629420).The most populated cities inIranare respectively Tehran (7088287), Meshed (2427316), Shiraz (1227331),Isfahan

(1602110) and Tabriz (1398060).


3/10

Cli :

Iran has a variable cli ate. In the northwest, winters are cold with heavy snowfall and subfreezing temperatures during December and

January. Spring and fall are relatively mild, while summers aredry and hot. In the south, winters aremild andthe summers a re very

hot, having averagedaily temperatures in July exceeding 38 C. On the Khuzestan plain, summer heatis accompanied by high

humidity.

In general, Iran has an arid climatein which most ofthe relatively scant annualprecipitation falls from Octoberthrough Ap ril. In most

ofthe country, yearly precipitation averages 25 centimetres orless. Themajorexceptions arethe highermountain valleys ofthe

Zagros andtheCaspian coastalplain, whereprecipitation averages atleast 50 centimetres annually. In the western part oftheCaspian,

rainfallexceeds 100 centimetres annually andis distributed relatively evenly throughoutthe year. This contrasts with some basins of

theCentral Plateau that receiveten centimetres orless ofprecipitation annually.

The climate of the Islamic Republic of Iran is one of great extremes due to its geographic location and varied topography. Thesummeris extremely hot with temperatures in theinterior rising possibly higherthan anywhereelsein the world; certainly o ver 55 C

has been recorded. In winter, however, the great altitude of much of the country and its continental situation result in far lower

temperatures than one wouldexpectto findin a country in such low latitudes.Minus Temperatures of 30 C can be recordedin the

northwest and 20 Cis common in many places.

Annual rainfall ranges fromless than 50 mmin thedeserts to 2 275 mmin Rasht neartheCaspian Sea. The average annual rainfallis

228 mm and approximately 90 percent ofthe country is arid or semiarid. About 23 percent ofthe rain falls in spring, 4 percentin

summer, 23 percentin autumn and 50 percentin winter.

-

5,000,000

10,000,000

15,000,000

20,000,000

25,000,000

Male Female Male Female Male Female

Urban areas Rural areas Unsettled

Population ( 2006)

Population


4/10

Land Use and Agri l re:

Desert, wasteland, and barren mountain ranges cover about half of Iran's totalland area. Ofthe rest,in the 1980s about 11 percent was

forested, about 8 percent was used for grazing orpastureland, and about 1.5 percent was made up of cities, villages,i ndustrial centers,

and related areas. The remainderincludedlandthat was cultivatedeitherpermanently or on a rotation,dry-farming basis (about 14

percent

andlandthat could be farmed with adequateirrigation (about 15 to 16percent

. Some observers consideredthelatter

category as pastureland.

0

020

30

40

50

60

70

J

A

J J A S O N D

Precipitation (mm)


5/10

Salinity and drought are among the most important environmental stresses that limit crop production in Iran. Low rainfall, high airtemperatures and high evaporation rates are the main factors that cause water stress and contribute to the development ofa saline

environment surrounding the plant roots. Natural soil salinity and high concentration of salts in irrigation waters aggravate the

situation.

Irrigation and drainage development:

Watershortages are compounded by the unequal distribution of water. Nearthe Caspian Sea,rainfallaverages about 128 centimetresper year, but in the Central Plateau and in the lowlands to the south it seldom exceeds 10 to 12 centimetres, far below the 26 to 31

centimetres usually required fordry farming

Water supply has beena constant preoccupation since the beginning of the countrys history, thousands of years ago. Its inhabitants

learnt to design and implement efficient techniques for harnessing their limited water resources and for irrigation. Apart from the

quant, which was a majorsource of irrigationand domestic watersupply forcenturies,Iranians have in the past built dams of various

types and weirs. Some of these head control structures, built as long as 1 000 years ago,are still in good condition.

Agriculturalland availability is not a major constraint. The major constraint is the availability of water for the developme nt of these

lands. The irrigation potential, based on land and water resources, has been estimated at about 15 million ha, or 29 percent of thecultivable area. However, this would require optimum storage and wateruse.

Crop yields on irrigated land, although generally 23 times higher than on rained land, are still on the low side by international

standards. Watershortage and soil salinity are mentioned among the main causes of this yield gap.

Surface irrigation techniques are used on 98.8 percent of the area equipped for irrigation, 1.2 percent using pressurized irrigation

systems. In general, irrigation has alow efficiency, 30 percent as anationalaverage,losses in conveyance and use being very high.

Crop Production:

Area (1000 Ha)

year

Item 2007

Irrigated Agricultural

Area8856

Agricultural Area 48073

2007

Irrigate

Agricultural Area

Agricultura Area


6/10

Agriculture is mostly practiced on small farming units. From 1960 to 1999 the number of farming units increased from 1.8 to 2.8

million units, with the average area perunit decreasing from just over6 ha to less than 5.5 ha. More than 80 percent of these farming

units have a total size ofless than 10 haand even these 10 haare onaverage scattered over five different locations. About 5 p ercent of

the agriculturalland is used by cooperative companies, consisting of both traditionaland modern systems. Usually each cooperative

has 8 members with anaverage size of 40 ha. Commercial companies coveraround 14 percent of the agriculturalland, mostly located

in Khozestan province in the southwest of the country.

Untilrecently,Iranrelied heavily on wheat imports to meet its growing domestic demand. Annual imports have ranged from 2.5 to

7.5 million tonnes perannum during the past two decades, making Irana majorworld wheat importer. A record production in 2004

following analready excellent crop in 2003 reduced imports in 2004/05 to 0.2 million tonnes. Overthe past two years, the

Government has sharply increased spending on wheat farming by supplying higherquality seeds, improving machinery services,

augmenting fertilizerusage and enhancing watersystems and pest management practices. The guaranteed procurement prices have

beenraised significantly. Strong government support forwheat production has played alarge role inraising output but favourable

weatherduring these seasons also has had a majorimpact.

It is unlikely that the required level of crop production could be obtained simply by increasing the irrigated area. An intensificati on of

production is necessary. This involves several factors, such as land consolidation,levelling, improved irrigation methods, balanced

fertilization, improved seeds, disease and pest controland mechanization. Balanced fertilization is an essential factorfor achieving

yield and quality improvements.

Estimated Production of Major

Crops

Items 2000 2007

Apples 2,141,655 2,660,000

Barley 1,686,039 3,000,000

Dates 869,573 1,000,000

Onions, dry 1,343,588 1,700,000

Pistachios 112,000 230,000


7/10

y ar

-8 ,

1,6 , ,4 , 3, , 4, , 4,8

,

,6

,

6,4

,

7,

,

8,

,

8,8

,

9,6

,

y

ar

y

ar

7

Potatoes 3,658,035 5,240,000

Ri

e, paddy 1,971,462 3,500,000

Seed cotton 497,000 300,000

Soybeans 142,000 260,000

Sugar beet 4,332,172 5,300,000

Sugar cane 2,367,015 5,700,000

Sunflower seed 40,000 87,000

Tea 49,874 60,000

Tomatoes 3,190,999 5,000,000

Wheat 8,087,756 9,500,000


8/10

Li e Stock:

The value oflivestockincreased annually after 1981. Livestock-raising methods were generally unsophisticated. Sheep and goats

were kept by nomadic tribesmen and by sedentary villagers who supported a few animals as a sidelineto farming. These animals had

diets of grass and shrubs that often leftthemdiseased andmalnourished;in turn,the herders obtainedlittleprofitin the way ofmeat,

milk, hair, and hides.

Animalproduction situation is changedin pastdecadepositively, so its production is increased from 5390000 tons in 1991 to

8107000 tons in 2005 thatis indicatedto 4.8% annual growth in thementionedterm. Production capacities of animalproducts sub-sectoris 120 millions animal unit,820 millions commercialpoultry,2440000 honeybee colonies,598 dairy factories,134 livestock

slaughter-houses,112 meatprocessing manufactories,551 Pelt, Pickle and Leatherprocessing firms,214 feedstuffs manufactories.

Also,its export contribution from Agriculture sectoris 11.7%.Iran face a number of challenges in internationalmarkets. Ind ividually,

they areless ableto exertpressure on other countries,particularly richer countries,to "play fair" in internationaltrade. Greater

dependence on agriculture forincome andemployment, and on agriculturalexports for foreign exchange,may makethem vulnerable

to changes in supply,demand, andprices in internationalmarket. Formoreexplanation of abovementioned subjects, we studied on

poultryproducts (poultry meat and Hen egg) production andexport of Iran andits comparison with others in theMiddle East region.

Itis showedthat, contribution of chicken meatproduction has been increasing butthe country's total chicken meatproduction in the

Middle Eastis not stableduetoproblems in coordination ofproductionpolicies andelasticity ofthe region's market.Besides,thevalue of Iran's chicken meatexport out ofthetotal value of chicken meatexport ofthe region is less than the Iranian export weight. It

was observedthat Iran gains lowerpriceper a kilogramexport. This may be attributedto low quality chicken meat from avera ge

quality of chicken meat other competitors orpoor bargaining power. Trade andproductionpolicies andeconomic behaviour of

producers andexporters have been in such a way thatthey could not show a appropriate andtimely response of region., also the

revealedinstabilities in this trends during the studyperiod (1990-2006)ledto the conclusion thatthereis no welldefined strategy andplan for utilization oflowpriceproduction factors,effective human power, knowledge of bargaining power andtargetmarkets .

Livestock areimportantin supporting thelivelihoods ofthepoorthroughoutthedeveloping world. They provide an appreciating

asset, a source ofincome, food,insurance, as well as important farminputs such as manure anddraughtpower. Livestockprov ide

high quality nutrients in meat,milk andeggs in areas wheremalnutrition is common. Livestock can provideemployment and

stimulatetrade at alllevels. Thedemand-ledexpansion ofthelivestock sectoris associated with a dynamic structural shifttowards

increasedmarket orientation andintegration,larger scales, geographic concentration andintensification. Internationaltradein

livestock andlivestockproducts is big business, accounting for about one sixth, by value, of all agriculturaltrade .

Soil:


9/10

Iranianagriculture is thousands of years old and this reflects the length of time during which soiland waterresources of the countryhave been utilized forcrop production. It is noteworthy that more than half of the country is covered by rangeland (mostly oflow to

medium productivity), waste lands,and mountains. Sand dunes, salt flats,and othernon-productive land, mostly in the central plateau

and the southern coastalarea, comprise 11.6 Mha. Majorsoil types ofIranare Xerosols, Arenosols, Regosols, Solonchalks,an d

Lithosols.

There are fourmain soil-ordertypes inIran, i.e. Entisols, Aridisols,Inceptisols,and Alfisols. According to Dewanand Famouri

(1964), the most important soils of plains and slopes consist ofalluvial, colluvial, humic -clay and various kinds of salt-affected soils

belonging to the majorclasses Aridisols, Entisols,Inceptisols,and Alfisols. Due to theirorigin, many soils of the country are rich in

calcium carbonate and are classified as calcareous. Plant availability of most nutritional elements, especially micronutrient s, is low.

FERTILITY CAABILITY CLASSIFICATION

p

nt

g

Gle

! ry

Low CEC

Aluminium toxicity

Acid

High P-fixation

X-ray amorphous

FERTILITYCAPABILITYCLASSIFICATION

Fertility limitation type percentage sq.km

Clay 1.5 24,359

Dry 29.1 472,104

Low CEC 0 298

Aluminium toxicity 0.1 1,283

Acid 0.2 3,305

High P-fixation 0 0

X-ray amor phous 0 49

Vertisol 0.1 970

Low Kreserves 0 642

Basic reaction 29.6 479,859Salinity 14.7 237,993

Natric 2.3 36,842

Cat clay 0 0

Shallow soils 22 356,536

Steep slopes (8-30%) 31.8 515,558

Very steep slopes (>30%) 19.2 311,310

Organic soils 0 0

Low moisture holding 1.3 20,562

Erosion prone soils 19.8 321,221

Not applicable 10.7 173,943


10/10

Considering the diversity of geological, climatic,and hydrological conditions ofIran, it is no surprise that many factors p lay arole in

the development of salinity problems inIranianagriculture. The natural causes of soil salinity inIranare geological conditions,

climatic factors (evaporation,rainfall,and wind), salt transport by water,and intrusion of saline bodies of waterinto the coastal

aquifers. Nevertheless, what seems to be of greaterconcernand importance is the human-induced salinity. This type of salinity stems

from poorwatermanagement, following, overgrazing,and improperland levelling. Also, ground waters overdraft, which enhances

saline water intrusion, is anotherhuman-induced salinity factor.

Clearly, this suggests that expansion of irrigated farming without due considerations, particularly fortraining on watermanagement,

is very risky. The sustainability of ouragricultural production is highly dependent on the "health" of the soiland waterresources. But,

the future of these resources is highly threatened by Stalinizationand eventual decertification. It needs a balance between the

hardware and the software of irrigated agriculture.

Soil" #

obl$ %

s %

Too cold

Too dry

Too steep

Too shallow

Toowet

Too coarse

Vertic

Soil Problems

Problem Soil Type Percentage sq.km

Too cold 0 0

Too dry 29.1 472,104

Too steep 19.2 311,310

Too shallow 6.4 104,457

Too wet 2 31,806

Too coarse 2.1 34,454

Vertic 0.1 970

Infertile 0 642

Too salty 18.6 302,421

Acid Sulphate 0 0

Peat 0 0

Miscellaneous 0 0

No problem 22.5 364,291

------------------------------ ------------ --------

Totals 100.0 1 622,455

agro-ecological profiles of iran

Documents