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
:Introduction
Iran stretches over almost 1.65 million sq. km of land and is bordered by Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan to the north,
.Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east, the Gulf of Oman and 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 sea
.level. The cultivable area is estimated at about 51 million hectares, which is 31 percent of the total area
Above 20 million hectares, or 36 percent of the cultivable area, are considered usable for agriculture. Of this area, 12.8 million hectares
.consist of annual crops and 1.6 million hectares of permanent crops
According to global statistics, Iran with more than ten million hectares of cultivated land under irrigation ranks seventh in the world. At
the same time, more than 8 million hectares of agricultural lands in Iran is subjected to dry farming. Watershed operations, which are
.used to protect water and soil, date back to some 50 years ago
:Rural and Urban population

The total population is 70 million, of which 41 percent live in rural regions. The average population density is 41 inhabitants per sq.
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 far the most densely populated region in the country. In Tehran province, the capital, the population
.density reaches 400 inhabitants per sq. km

According to the Population and Housing Census conducted in Aban 1385(Nov. 2006), Iran has 70495782 pop., the density is 43 per
Km and the annual average growth stands at 1.6%. Of the whole population, 50.9% are male (35866362) and 49.1% female
(34629420).The most populated cities in Iran are respectively Tehran (7088287), Meshed (2427316), Shiraz (1227331), Isfahan
.(1602110) and Tabriz (1398060)

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Climate:

Iran has a variable climate. In the northwest, winters are cold with heavy snowfall and subfreezing
temperatures during December and January. Spring and fall are relatively mild, while summers are dry and hot. In the south, winters
are mild and the summers are very hot, having average daily temperatures in July exceeding 38° C. On the Khuzestan plain, summer
heat is accompanied by high humidity.

In general, Iran has an arid climate in which most of the relatively scant annual precipitation falls from October through April. In most
of the country, yearly precipitation averages 25 centimetres or less. The major exceptions are the higher mountain valleys of the
Zagros and the Caspian coastal plain, where precipitation averages at least 50 centimetres annually. In the western part of the Caspian,
rainfall exceeds 100 centimetres annually and is distributed relatively evenly throughout the year. This contrasts with some basins of
the Central Plateau that receive ten centimetres or less of precipitation annually.
The climate of the Islamic Republic of Iran is one of great extremes due to its geographic location and varied topography. The summer
is extremely hot with temperatures in the interior rising possibly higher than anywhere else in the world; certainly over 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 would expect to find in a country in such low latitudes. Minus Temperatures of –30 °C can be recorded in the northwest and –
20 °C is common in many places.

Annual rainfall ranges from less than 50 mm in the deserts to 2 275 mm in Rasht near the Caspian Sea. The average annual rainfall is
228 mm and approximately 90 percent of the country is arid or semi-arid. About 23 percent of the rain falls in spring, 4 percent in
summer, 23 percent in autumn and 50 percent in winter.

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:Agriculture Land Use and

Desert, wasteland, and barren mountain ranges cover about half of Iran's total land area. Of the rest, in the 1980s about 11 percent was
forested, about 8 percent was used for grazing or pastureland, and about 1.5 percent was made up of cities, villages, industrial centers,
and related areas. The remainder included land that was cultivated either permanently or on a rotation, dry-farming basis (about 14
percent) and land that could be farmed with adequate irrigation (about 15 to 16 percent). Some observers considered the latter category
.as pastureland

Salinity and drought are among the most important environmental stresses that limit crop production in Iran. Low rainfall, high air
temperatures and high evaporation rates are the main factors that cause water stress and contribute to the development of a saline
environment surrounding the plant roots. Natural soil salinity and high concentration of salts in irrigation waters aggravate the
situation.

Irrigation and drainage development:

Water shortages are compounded by the unequal distribution of water. Near the Caspian Sea, rainfall averages about 128 centimetres
per 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 for dry farming

Water supply has been a constant preoccupation since the beginning of the country’s 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 major source of irrigation and domestic water supply for centuries, 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.

Agricultural land availability is not a major constraint. The major constraint is the availability of water for the development of these
lands. The irrigation potential, based on land and water resources, has been estimated at about 15 million ha, or 29 percent of the
cultivable area. However, this would require optimum storage and water use.

Crop yields on irrigated land, although generally 2–3 times higher than on rained land, are still on the low side by international
standards. Water shortage 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 a low efficiency, 30 percent as a national average, losses in conveyance and use being very high.

2007

Irrigated
Agricultural Area

Agricultura Area
 Area (1000 Ha)
:rop Production C
year
Item 2007

Irrigated Agricultural
8856
Area
Agricultural Area 48073

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 per unit decreasing from just over 6
ha to less than 5.5 ha. More than 80
percent of these farming units have a total
size of less than 10 ha and even these 10
ha are on average scattered over five
different locations. About 5 percent of the
agricultural land is used by cooperative
companies, consisting of both traditional
and modern systems. Usually each
cooperative has 8 members with an average size of 40 ha. Commercial companies cover around 14 percent of the agricultural land,
mostly located in Khozestan province in the southwest of the country.

Until recently, Iran relied heavily on wheat imports to meet its growing domestic demand. Annual imports have ranged from 2.5 to 7.5
million tonnes per annum during the past two decades, making Iran a major world wheat Estimated Production of Major
importer. A record production in 2004 following an already excellent crop in 2003 reduced Crops
imports in 2004/05 to 0.2 million tonnes. Over the past two years, the Government has Items 2000 2007
sharply increased spending on wheat farming by supplying higher quality seeds, improving
machinery services, augmenting fertilizer usage and enhancing water systems and pest Apples 2,141,655 2,660,000
management practices. The guaranteed procurement prices have been raised significantly.
Strong government support for wheat production has played a large role in raising output Barley 1,686,039 3,000,000

.but favourable weather during these seasons also has had a major impact
Dates 869,573 1,000,000

It is unlikely that the required level of crop production could be obtained simply by
Onions, dry 1,343,588 1,700,000
increasing the irrigated area. An intensification of production is necessary. This involves
several factors, such as land consolidation, levelling, improved irrigation methods, Pistachios 112,000 230,000
balanced fertilization, improved seeds, disease and pest control and mechanization.
alanced fertilization is an essential factor for B Potatoes 3,658,035 5,240,000
.chieving yield and quality improvements a
Rice, 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

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: Live Stock
 :Live stock

The value of livestock increased 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 sideline to farming. These animals had diets
of grass and shrubs that often left them diseased and malnourished; in turn, the herders obtained little profit in the way of meat, milk,
hair, and hides.

Animal production situation is changed in past decade positively, so its production is increased from 5390000 tons in 1991 to 8107000
tons in 2005 that is indicated to 4.8% annual growth in the mentioned term. Production capacities of animal products sub-sector is 120
millions animal unit ,820 millions commercial poultry,2440000 honeybee colonies,598 dairy factories,134 livestock slaughter-
houses,112 meat processing manufactories,551 Pelt, Pickle and Leather processing firms,214 feedstuffs manufactories. Also, its export
contribution from Agriculture sector is 11.7%.Iran face a number of challenges in international markets. Individually, they are less
able to exert pressure on other countries, particularly richer countries, to "play fair" in international trade. Greater dependence on
agriculture for income and employment, and on agricultural exports for foreign exchange, may make them vulnerable to changes in
supply, demand, and prices in international market. For more explanation of above mentioned subjects, we studied on poultry products
(poultry meat and Hen egg) production and export of Iran and its comparison with others in the Middle East region. It is showed that,
contribution of chicken meat production has been increasing but the country's total chicken meat production in the Middle East is not
stable due to problems in coordination of production policies and elasticity of the region's market. Besides, the value of Iran's chicken
meat export out of the total value of chicken meat export of the region is less than the Iranian export weight. It was observed that Iran
gains lower price per a kilogram export. This may be attributed to low quality chicken meat from average quality of chicken meat
other competitors or poor bargaining power. Trade and production policies and economic behaviour of producers and exporters have
been in such a way that they could not show a appropriate and timely response of region., also the revealed instabilities in this trends
during the study period (1990-2006)led to the conclusion that there is no well defined strategy and plan for utilization of low price
production factors, effective human power, knowledge of bargaining power and target markets. 

Livestock are important in supporting the livelihoods of the poor throughout the developing world. They provide an appreciating asset,
a source of income, food, insurance, as well as important farm inputs such as manure and draught power. Livestock provide high
quality nutrients in meat, milk and eggs in areas where malnutrition is common. Livestock can provide employment and stimulate
trade at all levels. The demand-led expansion of the livestock sector is associated with a dynamic structural shift towards increased
market orientation and integration, larger scales, geographic concentration and intensification. International trade in livestock and
livestock products is big business, accounting for about one sixth, by value, of all agricultural trade.

:Soil
 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. It is noteworthy that more than half of the country is covered by rangeland (mostly of low to
medium productivity), waste lands, and mountains. Sand dunes, salt flats, and other non-productive land, mostly in the central plateau
and the southern coastal area, comprise 11.6 Mha. Major soil types of Iran are Xerosols, Arenosols, Regosols, Solonchalks, and
Lithosols.

There are four main soil-order types in Iran, i.e. Entisols, Aridisols, Inceptisols, and Alfisols. According to Dewan and Famouri
(1964), the most important soils of plains and slopes consist of alluvial, colluvial, humic-clay and various kinds of salt-affected soils
belonging to the major classes Aridisols, Entisols, Inceptisols, and Alfisols. Due to their origin, many soils of the country are rich in
calcium carbonate and are classified as calcareous. Plant availability of most nutritional elements, especially micronutrients, is low.

FERTILITY CAPABILITY CLASSIFICATION

Fertility limitation type percentage sq.km
Clay 1.5 24,359
Dry 29.1 472,104
YTILITREF Low CEC 0 298
Aluminium toxicity 0.1 1,283
yelG Acid 0.2 3,305
yrD High P-fixation 0 0
CEC woL
muinimulA
X-ray amorphous 0 49
yitcixot Vertisol 0.1 970
dicA Low K reserves 0 642
noi taxi f-P hgiH
suohproma yar-X Basic reaction 29.6 479,859
losi treV Salinity 14.7 237,993
sevreser K woL Natric 2.3 36,842
noi tcaer cisaB
yitnilaS Cat clay 0 0
cirtaN Shallow soils 22 356,536
yalc taC Steep slopes (8-30%) 31.8 515,558
slios wollahS
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
Considering the diversity of geological, climatic, and hydrological conditions of Iran, it is no surprise that many factors play a role in
the development of salinity problems in Iranian agriculture. The natural causes of soil salinity in Iran are geological conditions,
climatic factors (evaporation, rainfall, and wind), salt transport by water, and intrusion of saline bodies of water into the coastal
aquifers. Nevertheless, what seems to be of greater concern and importance is the human-induced salinity. This type of salinity stems
from poor water management, following, over grazing, and improper land levelling. Also, ground waters overdraft, which enhances
 .saline water intrusion, is another human-induced salinity factor

% smelborPlioS Soil Problems

Problem Soil Type Percentage sq.km
dloc ooT Too cold 0 0
yrd ooT
peets ooT Too dry 29.1 472,104
wollahs ooT Too steep 19.2 311,310
tew ooT Too shallow 6.4 104,457
esraoc ooT
ci treV Too wet 2 31,806
eli trefnI Too coarse 2.1 34,454
ytlas ooT Vertic 0.1 970
dicA
etahpluS Infertile 0 642
taeP Too salty 18.6 302,421
uoenallecsiM
s Acid Sulphate 0 0
melborp oN Peat 0 0
Miscellaneous 0 0
No problem 22.5 364,291
------------------------------ ------------ --------
Totals 100.0 1 622,455

Clearly, this suggests that expansion of irrigated farming without due considerations, particularly for training on water management, is
very risky. The sustainability of our agricultural production is highly dependent on the "health" of the soil and water resources. But,
the future of these resources is highly threatened by Stalinization and eventual decertification. It needs a balance between the hardware
.and the software of irrigated agriculture