Turkish wheat 'Serince' tops field trials in Syria and Iraq

The domestic bread wheat variety 'Serince', developed by GAPTAEM in Şanlıurfa, ranked first among 20 different wheat types in trials conducted in Iraq and Syria. Following the completion of the registration process in Syria, it is planned to be put into production.

Scraper SystemJuly 25, 2026, 10:56 PM

Turkish wheat 'Serince' tops field trials in Syria and Iraq

The 'Serince' bread wheat variety, developed by the GAP Agricultural Research Institute (GAPTAEM) in Şanlıurfa after nearly 12 years of breeding work, drew attention with its superior performance in trial plantings in Iraq and Syria.

GAPTAEM Director İbrahim Halil Çetiner said that each new variety bred using the gene pool of around 3,000 genetic materials is uniquely valuable to them. Çetiner noted that 'Serince' has produced striking results both in Turkey and in neighboring countries.

Explaining that efforts were made to register the seed through their companies, Çetiner said, 'We learned that in the trials carried out by the Syrian General Directorate of Agricultural Research, 'Serince' ranked first among 20 varieties. It was first in both yield and quality. It excelled in characteristics such as protein content and hectoliter weight, and showed particularly high resistance to yellow rust.'

'The 'Serince' variety, registered in 2021, quickly became the choice of growers,' said Senior Agricultural Engineer Memduh Serdar Polat, who led the breeding program. He noted that despite this year's wet season, many bread wheat varieties had protein levels of 10-11 percent, while 'Serince' reached at least 13 percent, up to 14.5-15 percent. 'Our growers are pleased with its quality, resilience to extreme conditions, and disease tolerance,' he added.

Agricultural Engineer Mahmut Barut, manager of Barut Seed, explained that they produce certified seeds of wheat, lentils, and barley developed by GAPTAEM through a contract farming model. Barut added that they are in the registration process in Iraq, and that in the trial field at the Syrian Research Institute, 'Serince' stood out in yield, quality, and resilience, and they have now moved to the registration stage in Syria.

Emphasizing that their goal is to take Turkish seed breeding to broader regions, Barut noted that next year they will set up trial fields in countries such as Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, in addition to Iraq, Syria, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. 'In this way, we aim to make a major leap forward both regionally and through exports with our seed varieties,' he said.

Turkish wheat 'Serince' tops field trials in Syria and Iraq