ICARDA annual report 2004

ICARDA Annual Report 2004
8
agement, 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 is being investigated
and institutional innovations that
mitigate natural resource degradation
and enhance collective action
are being 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
Theme 5. Institutional
Strengthening
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
Training
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
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.
Key Features of ICARDA’s Research Stations
I
CARDA operates two experimental station sites in Syria, including the main research station at Tel
Hadya, near Aleppo, and two sites in Lebanon. These sites represent a variety of agroclimatic conditions,
typical of those found in the CWANA region.
ICARDA and the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) now share the use of the sites in
Lebanon. ICARDA uses these sites for commodity research trials in winter, and for off-season advance
of breeding material and for rust screening in cereals in summer.
ICARDA Sites in Syria and Lebanon
Rainfall data for 2002/03 Rainfall data for 2003/04
Sites Coordinates Approx. Area Total Long-term Total Long-term
elevation (ha) precipitation average precipitation average
Latitude Longitude (m) (mm)* (mm) (mm)* (mm)
SYRIA
Tel Hadya 36.01° N 36.56° E 284 948 492.0 349.2 (25 seasons) 400.2 351.6 (26 seasons)
Breda 35.56° N 37.10° E 300 95 386.4 274.2 (23 seasons) 303.4 275.4 (24 seasons)
LEBANON
Terbol 33.49° N 35.59° E 890 23 994.8 537.0 (23 seasons) 549.8 537.5 (24 seasons)
Kfardane 34.01° N 36.03° E 1080 11 868.7 454.1 (9 seasons) 539.0 462.6 (10 seasons)
Note: The rainfall data reported in the ICARDA Annual Report for 2003 was for the 2003/04 season, not for the 2002/03 season. For clarity, data for
both 2002/03 and 2003/04 seasons are reported in the table above.