Rainfed Farming in North Khorasan Surpasses 142,000 Hectares

The Deputy for Crop Production Improvement at the North Khorasan Agricultural Jihad Organization announced that the production boost plan has been implemented across more than 142,000 hectares of rainfed farmland in the province during the 1404-1405 crop year, an area roughly 22,000 hectares above the plan's assigned target.

Hadi Azizi said in a conversation with Ambassador Arjan: In the crop year of 1404-1405, the notified level of implementation of the production jump plan in the rainfed fields of North Khorasan was 120,000 hectares, but with the efforts of the farmers and the agricultural Jihad group, 142,398 hectares of the rainfed lands of the province were cultivated.

Emphasizing the importance of new methods in rainfed farming, he added: the implementation of protective farming methods and compliance with technical principles in these lands play an important role in the sustainability of production and optimal use of water and soil resources.

Azizi continued: In the last crop year, measures such as preserving plant residues, deep cultivation according to the slope of land, direct cultivation, turning yellow fallow into green, observing optimal density and managing the amount of seed consumption per hectare were implemented.

He listed the use of certified seeds and compliance with technical standards in seed consumption as other measures taken to increase productivity and said: the total of these measures led to the implementation of cultivation at a level beyond the notified plan.

Four-year history of production jump plan in rainfed fields

Referring to the implementation process of this project since 1401 in the province, the vice president of plant production improvement of North Khorasan Agricultural Jihad Organization stated: In the crop year 1401-1402, the notified area was 65 thousand hectares, of which more than 70 thousand hectares of rainfed lands were cultivated.

Azizi added: In the agricultural year of 1402-1403, 139 thousand 588 hectares were cultivated out of the notified area of 140 thousand hectares. In the agricultural year 1403-1404, despite the announcement of 140 thousand hectares, the cultivated area reached 136 thousand 989 hectares.

He continued: In the crop year 1404-1405, the cultivation area increased to 142 thousand 398 hectares and exceeded the announced plan; An issue that shows the capacity of the province to develop rainfed farming and move towards sustainable production.

Emphasis on conservation agriculture in the new crop year

Emphasizing the necessity of continuing the basic methods of cultivation in the new crop year, Azizi said: the implementation of conservation agriculture components and the development of direct cultivation in rainfed lands should be among the priorities of the users and it is necessary to avoid unnecessary tillage operations in these lands.

He asked the farmers to refer to the Jihad Agricultural Centers to learn about the latest scientific findings, technical methods and achievements related to rainfed farming, and by taking advantage of the advice of experts, provide the basis for increasing the productivity and sustainability of production in their lands.