Iran with an area of 1,648,000 km2 and population of about 75 million people lies between latitudes 24° and 40° N, and longitudes 44° and 64° E. The country is generally known of arid and semi-arid climate except for Caspian Sea regions. Wheat is the major field crop in Iran. The total wheat area exceeds 6.7 million hectare from which about 2.6 million hectare (40%) are irrigated, with an average grain yield of about 3,800 kg per hectare, and about 4.1 million hectare (60%) are rainfed with an average grain yield of 1,100 kg per hectare. In normal year about 70 per cent of wheat production is produced under irrigation. Winter, facultative and spring types are grown in different agro-climatic regions. The temperate agro-climate zone is the most favorable area for wheat production with the highest grain yields recorded at Kangavar in Kermanshah province (about 14 tons per hectare) and in Daryoun in Fars Province (>12t/m). Biotic (e.g. YR, LR, SR, Septoria, FHB) and abiotic (drought, heat, cold, salinity) stresses are among the major limiting factors for wheat production. Yellow (stripe) rust, leaf rust and stem rust occur in different parts of the country; however, yellow rust remains the major wheat disease in more favorable years. Fusarium head blight and Septoria leaf blotch are becoming more serious in the Caspian Sea regions as well as in south-west Iran. In 2007, stem rust race Ug99 was reported from western Iran. However, this race has not spread over large areas. It has been estimated that due to climate change rainfed wheat growing areas would decline by 24 per cent by 2025 and 33.5 per cent by 2050. Rainfed wheat grain yield would also decline by 24 per cent and 32 per cent in 2025 and 2050, respectively.
Irrigated wheat grain yield will also decline by 12 per cent and 28 per cent in 2025 and 2050, respectively.

Global Wheat Program

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INT3505

CIMMYT Staff Publications Collection