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Agricultural systems in the dry areas are dynamic. Global linking of national economies and urban market development are creating new, more intensive, and more diverse demands on agricultural producers. The demographic pressure on the land combined with the need to produce more food from a limited resource base is forcing producers to follow practices that maximize short-term returns at the expense of long-term sustainability. Environmental resource degradation and human poverty are most pronounced in low-potential agricultural environments, particularly those with low and uncertain rainfall, in mountainous areas, and in the rangelands. Rural to urban, as well as international migration, is widespread, particularly in the Mediterranean region, and threatens social, political, and economic stability. To deal with the challenges of poverty, food insecurity, and resource degradation, ICARDA’s research agenda is built around five general themes: 1- Crop Germplasm Enhancement 2- Production Systems Management 3- Natural Resource Management 4- Socioeconomics and Policy 5- Institutional Strengthening
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| Theme 1. Crop Germplasm Enhancement | |||||||||
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| This theme includes six
projects, each developed around a particular crop or group of crops. The
overall goal of the projects is to steadily increase yield and stability
through genetic improvement and water-use efficiency, with special emphasis
on less favored environments and low external-input systems. The strategy
is to produce cultivars with stable year-to-year yield adapted to the
environments in which they will be grown. The projects are multidisciplinary,
with research targeted to specific dry-area farming systems. As such,
they integrate genetic improvement with production systems, resource management,
and socioeconomic and policy considerations. ICARDA is an active partner
in the CGIAR Challenge Program on “Biofortified Crops for Improved
Nutrition.” The following projects are in operation under this theme: Project 1.1. Barley Germplasm Improvement for Increased Productivity and Yield Stability Project 1.2. Durum Wheat Germplasm Improvement for Increased Productivity, Yield Stability, and Grain Quality in West Asia and North Africa Project 1.3. Spring Bread Wheat Germplasm Improvement for Increased Productivity, Yield Stability, and Grain Quality in West Asia and North Africa Project 1.4. Winter and Facultative Bread Wheat Germplasm Improvement for Increased Yield and Yield Stability in Highlands and Cold Winter Areas of Central and West Asia and North Africa Project 1.5. Food Legume (Lentil, Kabuli Chickpea, and Faba Bean) Germplasm Improvement for Increased Systems Productivity Project 1.6. Forage Legume Germplasm Improvement for Increased Feed Production and Systems Productivity in Dry Areas |
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| Theme 2. Production Systems Management |
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| Production systems management
draws together all the components of research into a farming systems perspective.
This approach enables site-specific results to be blended into recommendations
that can be applied to broader target areas. Long-term experiments on
the productivity of farming systems, particularly those integrating crops
and livestock, and the management of soil and water resources, are geared
to optimize cropping sequences and the development of appropriate ways
to intensify production in the dry areas. Optimizing soil water use is
a particularly important area in which ICARDA is a co-convener with the
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT),
of the Optimizing Soil Water Use (OSWU) Program, within a “CGIAR
Systemwide Soil Water and Nutrient Management (SWNM) Consortium.” Management of crop pests and diseases is increasingly handled in an integrated fashion in order to reduce the environmental and economic impact of chemical interventions. ICARDA views pest and disease management as a dimension of the entire farming system rather than as one component of the production practices for a single crop. ICARDA participates in three sub-programs of the “CGIAR Systemwide Integrated Pest Management Program.” The following projects are in operation under this theme: Project 2.1. Integrated Pest Management in Cereal- and Legume-based Cropping Systems in Dry Areas Project 2.2. Agronomic Management of Cropping Systems for Sustainable Production in Dry Areas Project 2.3. Improvement of Sown Pasture and Forage Production for Livestock Feed in Dry Areas Project 2.4. Rehabilitation and Improved Management of Native Pastures and Rangelands in Dry Areas Project 2.5. Improvement of Small-Ruminant Production in Dry Areas |
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| Theme 3. Natural Resource Management | |||||||||
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| ICARDA’s
research on natural resource management aims to promote efficient, integrated,
and sustainable use of resources for improved productivity and alleviation
of poverty. The Center’s research plan responds to the vision expressed
at the Lucerne meeting in Switzerland 9-10 February 1995 and to recommendations
in TAC’s 1995 report, “Priorities and Strategies for Soil and
Water Aspects of Natural Resource Management Research in the CGIAR,”
and the Maurice Strong report on “Systemwide Review, 1999.”
ICARDA is an active partner in the CGIAR Challenge Program on “Water
and Food.” While water and its availability are the key issues in
the dry areas and are accorded the highest priority, soil, agricultural
biodiversity, and land use are all closely linked. ICARDA maintains a
strong Genetic Resources Unit and participates in the “Systemwide
Genetic Resource Program.” ICARDA is responding to the urgent need for higher productivity using less water by substantially increasing its research investment on improved and sustainable water-use efficiency at the farm level. The Center leads the work in this field and contributes to the “CGIAR Systemwide Program on Water Management,” coordinated by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). In this program, on-farm water management is integrated in an overall water-basin perspective. The following projects are in operation under this theme: Project 3.1. Water Resource Conservation and Management for Agricultural Production in Dry Areas Project 3.2. Land Management and Soil Conservation to Sustain Rural Livelihoods of Dry Areas Project 3.3. Agrobiodiversity Collection and Conservation for Sustainable Production Project 3.4. Agroecological Characterization for Agricultural Research, Crop Management, and Development Planning |
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| Theme 4. Socioeconomics and Policy |
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| Socioeconomic and policy
research provides gender, market, cultural and end-user perspectives that
can help in promoting the adoption of new technologies and enhance the
impact and benefits of ICARDA’s research. Particular emphasis is
placed on participatory research methods for problem identification, technology
evaluation and selection that complement the formal analytical methods
already in use. The strategy is to build upon the knowledge, perspectives,
and innovative capacities of farmers and local communities in finding
solutions to production and resource-management problems. As part of its new strategy, ICARDA is devoting increased attention to natural resource management, especially water, formal methods of resource and environmental economics, and farmers’ participatory research to understand how resource degradation, productivity, and conservation are related. Operational guidelines on resource use for farmers, pastoralists, extensionists and policy makers are being identified. Development of local institutions will be investigated and institutional innovations that mitigate natural resource degradation and enhance collective action will be promoted. The following projects are in operation under this theme: Project 4.1. Socioeconomics of Natural Resource Management in Dry Areas Project 4.2. Socioeconomics of Agricultural Production Systems in Dry Areas Project 4.3. Policy and Public Management Research in West Asia and North Africa |
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| Theme 5. Institutional Strengthening |
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| ICARDA has a strong program of technical assistance
to National Agricultural Research Systems’ (NARS) seed-production
efforts. While supporting this essential activity, the Center emphasizes
the needs of the informal seed sector to stimulate improvements that are
not adequately met by existing services. These include partnerships with
government agencies, farming communities and NGOs, and opening up the
possibility of new initiatives by the private sector. The following project is in operation under this theme: Project 5.1. Strengthening National Seed Systems in Central and West Asia and North Africa |
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| Training |
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| Training is an integral part of ICARDA’s research projects. The Center’s research partnerships with NARS are strengthened implicitly by colleague-to-colleague training. Increasingly, the Center is out-sourcing its training activities to make the best use of the expertise that is becoming more readily available in NARS. Training focuses on improved quality and effectiveness, and on achieving multiplier effects through training the NARS trainers. ICARDA encourages greater participation of women scientists from NARS in its training programs. | |||||||||
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Foreword Highlights of the Year ICARDA’s Research Portfolio International Cooperation Research Support Services Appendices .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... |
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