Management of rice production systems to increase productivity

flood/drought cycle, which is proving disastrous for agriculture in The
Gambia.
Unfortunately for The Gambia’s National Agricultural Research System
(NARS), the research priorities of its international collaborating partners in the
Consultative Group for International Agriculture Research (CGIAR) are
geared towards addressing problems of soil erosion and degradation. These
problems often emerged as the most significant threat to sustainable
agriculture. Efforts in the CGIAR have taken two forms: micro‐adjustments,
to indirectly adjust through breeding for tolerance to drought, low soil
fertility, salinity and acidity, or through research on improved soil and water
management. The next research priority deals with problems of the
narrowing the plant genetic resource base for agriculture. The sustainability
of much of the Green Revolution technologies may be jeopardized by erosion
of the genetic base of the most popular rice lines. Climatic factors and
adjustments to them is another area for priority research (De Boer, 1993).
Therefore decreasing the risk associated with climatic variability, particularly
in low and/or variable rainfall areas, is an important research area for The
Gambia and semi‐arid Sahel region.
2.1.4. The Crop ‐ Environment Dynamics in the Sahel and Drier Tropics
Adaptation mechanisms for adverse conditions can be identified by
examining resources that are most limiting yield. Grain yield can be analyzed
in relation to capture (acquisition) and utilization efficiency of resources for
growth. Genotypic variation in grain yield in rainfed conditions can be
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