iranian agricultureand salinity- united nations university（伊朗工程盐度-联合国大学）（6页）.docVIP

2 Iranian Agriculture and Salinity H. Siadat Soil Water Research Institute of Iran Introduction Iranian agriculture is thousands of years old and this reflects the length of time during which soil and water resources of the country have been utilized for crop production. Geographically speaking, Iran is located between 2540? N latitude with total area of 165 Mha. Climatic conditions of Iran are mostly typical of arid and semiarid regions. Nevertheless, the country has a wide spectrum of climatic, physiographic, edaphic, and hydrological conditions. As such, it is no surprise that both tropical and coolseason crops are grown and produced in Iran. Just to name a few, one could mention citrus dates, pistachio sugarcane, and rice, as well as apples, cherries , walnuts, and apricots. However, the most extensive cultivated area is devoted to wheat and barley, which are the main sources of staple food and protein for the average Iranian. Wheat alone covers about one third and fruits cover nearly one fifth of the total irrigated land of Iran. Both systems of irrigated and rainfed farming (dry farming) are practiced in different parts of the country while the area devoted to each system varies considerably depending on agroclimatical conditions. Rainfed agriculture and dry farming are most successful in western and northwester of Iran, as well as the sloping lands in the Caspian coast. In other parts of the country, dry farming is also practiced in hilly areas, but the yields obtained are limited. In the central plateau, as well as the southern plains and the southern coastal areas of Iran, crop production is mostly possible only under irrigation. This is because of low rainfall and high evaporation rates. In some low lying plains of the central plateau, the annual rainfall is about 50 mm while the annual evaporation may exceed 4000 mm. The countrywide average precipitation is about 250 mm. Soil, Water Resources Salinity The major types of