Agricultural Research Knowledge
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11766/187
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- Feed pellet production with locally availably productsAuthor(s): Rudiger, Udo; Idoudi, Zied; Dhehibi, Boubaker; Tebourbi, Ons; Shiri, Zahra; Souissi, Asma (CGIAR System Organization (CGIAR), 2024-12-31)Date: 2024-12-31Type: BriefStatus: Timeless limited accessCompressing local agro-industrial by-products into nutrient-dense livestock feed pellets is a worthwhile innovation to compete with expensive and imported feed pellets or concentrates. The use of such pellets also alleviates pressure on rangelands or grasslands. This innovation consists of a small scale compressor ‘pelletizer’ and formulas to create qualitatively sufficient feed pellets with locally available inputs. In Tunisia, there are many agro-pastoralists that are dependent on expensive and imported livestock feed pellets to improve livestock quality and to supplement feed shortages. Risks of relative feed shortages are likely to increase due to climate change. Also, there are many discarded by-products from local agro-food supply chains such as olive cakes, date kernels, and downgraded dates, which still contain nutrients. Feed pellet production with this small-scale pelletizer producing 500 kg pellets/hour is also an interesting income-generating activity for farmer organizations and creates employment.
- Restoring Rangelands through Opportunistic GrazingAuthor(s): Louhaichi, Mounir; Ouled Belgacem, Azaiez; Evans, Monica; Ferrari, Mireille; Nefzaoui, Ali (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA))Date: 2024-11-21Type: BriefStatus: Open accessBrief about the innovative approach to restoring Tunisia's rangelands, which encompass 5.5 million hectares and are essential for the economy and rural livelihoods. The document highlights "opportunistic grazing," a method developed through collaboration between ICARDA and the Tunisian government that allows for short, targeted grazing periods in previously rested areas. This strategy has demonstrated a 270% increase in productivity and a nearly 220% improvement in biodiversity, fostering healthier ecosystems and creating economic opportunities for rural communities. By scaling this approach, By scaling this approach, Tunisia can provide a sustainable model for land use across the MENA region.
- Restoration of grazing lands by One CGIAR researchers and partners researchers and partnersAuthor(s): Sircely, Jason; Ouled Belgacem, Azaiez; Cardoso Arango, Juan Andres; Arango, Jacobo (CGIAR System Organization (CGIAR))Date: 2024-12-30Type: BriefStatus: Open accessBrief about the restoration of grazing lands in Tunisia, East Africa, and Colombia, highlighting innovative approaches adopted by One CGIAR researchers and partners. The initiative addresses rangeland degradation caused by climate change, increasing livestock densities, and unsustainable grazing practices. In Tunisia, short-duration, high-stocking-rate opportunistic grazing and silvopastoral enriched seasonal exclosures are being implemented to improve forage availability and ecosystem health. In East Africa, techniques such as short-resting and invasive species control are enhancing rangeland resilience. Meanwhile, Colombia's rotational grazing and spontaneous tree regeneration practices aim to restore degraded pastures and enhance biodiversity. These strategies not only improve livestock production but also contribute significantly to climate change mitigation and sustainable land management.
- Opportunistic Grazing to Restore Soil Health, Ecosystem Function and Ecosystem Services – MELIA studyAuthor(s): Louhaichi, Mounir; Ouled Belgacem, Azaiez; Hassan, Sawsan; Nefzaoui, Ali (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA))Date: 2024-12-21Type: ReportStatus: Open accessA MELIA study on Opportunistic Grazing to Restore Soil Health, Ecosystem Function, and Ecosystem Services in Tunisia examined the effectiveness of this approach in rehabilitating degraded arid rangelands. The study evaluated improvements in productivity, biodiversity, and soil health while analyzing the socioeconomic benefits for livestock productivity and ecosystem services. Additionally, it explored the role of gender and community-led decision-making in adopting sustainable grazing practices. The findings provided valuable insights for policymakers seeking to balance livestock production with long-term rangeland sustainability.
- The Analysis Pack for Economics of Land Degradation (APELD)Author(s): Yigezu, Yigezu (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), 2024-04-16)Date: 2024-04-16Type: ToolStatus: Open accessThe Analysis Pack for Economics of Land Degradation (APELD) is an innovation that involves three separate but complementary modules each with specific function. The first module enables researchers and experts to estimate the quantities and monetary values of ecosystem services (ESS) lost due to inaction, i.e., due to no or insufficient efforts to combat land degradation (LD). Assuming that a package of suitable policy, institutional, and technological innovations for combating LD have been identified, the second module enables to estimate the benefits of action (i.e., the benefits of implementing the innovation package) in terms of the quantities and monetary values of ESS that can be prevented from being lost or new ESS that can be generated due to the interventions. The third and last module estimates the cost of implementing the package of innovations over a given planning horizon (or planning period preferably of 10-20 years), the total discounted benefits of action over the entire planning period, and ultimately provides estimates of the returns on investment that are provided in the form of benefit:cost ratios – i.e., the monetary values of the returns on every dollar invested in combating LD. All three modules provide the disaggregated estimates for each province x biome x LD class combination as well as aggregates at LD class, biome, province, and national levels. The costs and benefits are also disaggregated by ESS classifications (i.e., use, and non-use values and the use values are further disaggregated into direct and indirect use values)
- Chemodiversity and antimicrobial activities of Eucalyptus spp. essential oilsAuthor(s): Ammar, Hajer; M’Rabe, Yassine; Hassan, Sawsan; Chahine, Mireille; de Haro Marti, Mario; Soufan, Walid; Andres, Sonia; López Puente, Secundino; Hosni, Karim (Taylor & Francis Open, 2024-08-06)Date: 2024-08-06Type: Journal ArticleStatus: Open accessThe essential oils extracted from the leaves of five Eucalyptus species: E. astringens, E. camaldulensis, E. lehmannii, E. leucoxylon, and E. sideroxylon, were investigated for their antimicrobial properties. These species were growing in the same plantation area, exposed to identical conditions, and subjected to uniform agronomic practices. Processed and analyzed under consistent parameters, the essential oil yields ranged from 0.14 to 0.96% (w/w). Chromatographic analysis were resolved into 48 compounds, with 11 common to all oils. Terpenoids (oxygenated mono- and sesquiterpenes) dominated the oil profiles, constituting 55.66–76.67% of the composition. Major components identified included 1,8-cineole (21.97–50.93%), α-pinene (2.18–15.95%), p-cymene (0.83–15.94%), spathulenol (0–20.49%), globulol (4.09–14.26%), and aromadendrene (2.37–15.03%). Genetically driven interspecific variation in composition was observed through Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), and heatmap clustering. Moreover, distinctive components were identified for each essential oil, offering a valuable tool for discriminating between Eucalyptus species and ensuring authentication and quality control in commercial samples. Results from antimicrobial disc-diffusion assays indicated robust antimicrobial activity in all essential oils, with those derived from E. camaldulensis, E. lehmannii, and E. leucoxylon exhibiting the highest effectiveness.
- Seedlings production of rangeland speciesAuthor(s): Louhaichi, Mounir (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), 2024-12-12)Date: 2024-12-12Type: ImageStatus: Open accessImage about seedling production
- Rangeland inventorying using quadratAuthor(s): Louhaichi, Mounir (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), 2024-12-12)Date: 2024-12-12Type: ImageStatus: Open accessimage illustration Rangeland inventorying using quadrat
- Rangeland inventorying using line-point interceptAuthor(s): Louhaichi, Mounir (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), 2024-12-30)Date: 2024-12-30Type: ImageStatus: Open accessimage Illustration rangelands inventorying
- Salt affected soil - Central TunisiaAuthor(s): Louhaichi, Mounir (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), 2024-12-31)Date: 2024-12-31Type: ImageStatus: Open accessImage Illustration Salt affected soil - Central Tunisia
- Hedysarum coronarium (sulla) at early stage - Central TunisiaAuthor(s): Louhaichi, Mounir (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), 2024-12-12)Date: 2024-12-12Type: ImageStatus: Open accessEarly stages of Sull growth
- Flock of small ruminant grazing a silvopastoral site - Central TunisiaAuthor(s): Louhaichi, Mounir (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), 2024-12-21)Date: 2024-12-21Type: ImageStatus: Open accessImage about sheep grazing in Silvo pastoral site
- Using Remote Sensing Data in the Cloud to Monitor Climate Change in Senegal Regions Based on Seasonal Variables from 2000 to 2020. An Opportunity to Sustainable PoliciesAuthor(s): Ivan Alvarez, Cesar; Govind, Ajit (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2024-09-09)Date: 2024-09-09Type: Conference PaperStatus: Timeless limited accessSatellite remote sensing offers an alternative method to assess the impact of climate change in high-risk regions with limited resources. Senegal, an African country, is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. This study aims to find an alternative way to monitor and adapt to climate change. By evaluating correlations between vegetation, using NDVI, land surface temperature (LST), mean temperature, and precipitation from remote sensing data collected over the last 20 years (2000 to 2020) through Google Earth Engine, we have discovered a high negative correlation between NDVI and LST, a high positive correlation between NDVI and precipitation, and the lowest correlation between NDVI and mean temperature. These findings have practical implications, helping us understand the limitations and adaptations required for climate-risk countries. They can guide decisions and policies in the climate change sector, making them more relevant and applicable.
- Advanced prediction of rice yield gaps under climate uncertainty using machine learning techniques in Eastern IndiaDate: 2024-09-17Type: Journal ArticleStatus: Open accessThe current study focuses on applying machine learning approaches to forecast future Kharif rice yield gaps in eastern India while accounting for climate change implications. To achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), food security must be prioritized. Rice yield has been predicted using Cubist, GBM, MARS, RF, SVM, and XGB machine learning methods, considering six factors: elevation, soil moisture, precipitation, temperature, soil temperature, and actual evapotranspiration. Climatic change scenarios were generated using the latest climatic Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6 MIROC6) Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) 2–4.5 and SSP5-8.5 datasets between 1990 and 2030. Finally, machine learning algorithms were used to identify rice yield gaps to achieve sustainable agricultural intensification. The rice yield validation was completed with 1889 field-based farmer observation records. The results suggest that Murshidabad and Purba Bardhaman districts had very high rice yields (5.60–3.45 t/ha) when using the Cubist model compared to another model. The findings also reveal a poor rice-yielding zone (1.44–0.39 t/ha) in the western region (Purulia) and a northwestern region (half of the west of Birbhum). The Cubist and RF models' maximum and minimum R2 values were 0.73 and 0.72, respectively. The R2 values were also negligible for the XGB, GBM, SVM, and MARS, machine learning models. Projections for rice production in 2030 indicate that the northern and north-eastern regions (Murshidabad and Purba Bardhaman) as well as the southeastern areas (Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur) have the highest yields, categorized as extremely very high (5.56–3.49 t/ha) and high (3.49–2.49 t/ha). A significant rice yield gap (50-40 %) was found in the center and south-east areas (Bankura, Jhargram, and Paschim Medinipur), the northern region (Murshidabad and Birbhum), and the western region (Purulia). In 2030, the north-western region (Birbhum), as well as the middle and south-eastern regions (Bankura, Jhargram, and Paschim Medinipur districts), had the highest proportion of high (50%–40 %) and very high (60%–50 %) rice yield gap. Our findings can contribute to a new viewpoint on agricultural planning and management for sustainable growth in the face of changing climate circumstances.
- Review of climate-resilient agriculture for ensuring food security: Sustainability opportunities and challenges of IndiaAuthor(s): Sahoo, Satiprasad; Singha, Chiranjit; Govind, Ajit; Moghimi, Armin (Elsevier)Date: 2024-12-12Type: Journal ArticleStatus: Open accessClimate Resilient Agriculture (CRA) effectively responds to climate change while contributing to sustainable productivity adapted to local hydro-meteorological conditions. CRA provides resilience to climate variability by enhancing agricultural viability through water exchange between surface and groundwater systems. In water-stressed countries such as India, where demand for water from agriculture, industry, and domestic use is increasing, CRA offers ways to address current and future food security challenges. This review examines the role of the CRA in agricultural sustainability and community participation in India. It assesses critical CRA projects and policies in India and explores how CRA can improve water policy by integrating farmers' perspectives in groundwater-based agriculture. The study also shows that collaboration between government agencies, NGOs, and local groups is important to sustaining CRA initiatives. Discussions indicated that empirical studies, clear sustainability indicators, and integration of advanced technology such as artificial intelligence and geo-spatial tools are needed to improve India's adaptation strategies to climate change. This study highlighted how CRA aligns with key SDGs by addressing poverty, hunger, climate action, and community wellbeing. GRACE data indicated that northwestern India emerged as a critical water scarcity hotspot, displaying negative trends of around −7.413 cm per year. Furthermore, the analysis clearly showed that the Western Dry Region, Western Himalayan, and Gangetic Plain agro-ecological zone (AEZ) experienced the sharpest declines in equivalent water thickness (EWT) compared to other AEZ regions in India. The review also highlighted the value of knowledge-sharing platforms and tailored CRA strategies that increase agricultural productivity and enable farmers to make informed decisions in the face of climate uncertainty.
- Variability of ENSO teleconnections indices, and its impacts on moroccan agricultureAuthor(s): Peethani, Sujatha; Pathakoti, Mahesh; D. V, Mahalakshmi; Kheir, Ahmed M.S.; Singh, Apoorva; Govind, Ajit (Elsevier (12 months), 2024-12-01)Date: 2024-11-24Type: Journal ArticleStatus: Timeless limited accessIn Morocco, drought periods have become more frequent and severe due to climate change, which has had a substantial effect on freshwater supply and agricultural output. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the influence of climatic variability were the main subjects of the current study, which made use of daily precipitation, maximum and minimum temperature data collected at 50 locations around the nation from 1990 to 2022. The study analysed Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) over Morocco to evaluate the impact of climate indices such as the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on drought severity. It also investigated the changes in precipitation, temperature, and extreme event-related indices. Rainfall is used as a proxy for El Nino and La Nina, supported by a negative and significant correlation between Oceanic Nino Index (ONI) and rainfall. Attempted to understand the impact of the NAO on Morocco's agricultural production, particularly during the winter months. During negative NAO phases, winter temperatures can lead to reduced wheat yields by 35–45% during the El Niño years and decreased by 4–7% during the La Niña years compared to the actual yield. Relying on the NAO plays a crucial role in modulating the precipitation patterns, which implies that crop requires adequate soil moisture with no extreme temperature during the growing season in order to produce higher yield. ENSO events can indeed lead to these extreme conditions in selected locations, potentially impacting crop yields.
- Assessing Evapotranspiration Models for Regional Implementation in the Mediterranean: A Comparative Analysis of STEPS, TSEB, and SCOPE with Global DatasetsAuthor(s): Un-Nisa, Zaib; Govind, Ajit; Prikaziuk, Egor; Van der Tol, Christiaan; Lasserre, Bruno; Burchard-Levine, Vicente; Marchetti, Marco (MDPI, 2024-08-30)Date: 2024-08-30Type: Journal ArticleStatus: Open accessAccurate evapotranspiration (ET) estimation is crucial for sustainable water management in the diverse and water-scarce Mediterranean region. This study compares three prominent models (Simulator of Terrestrial Ecohydrological Processes and Systems (STEPS), Soil-Canopy-Observation of Photosynthesis and Energy fluxes (SCOPE), and Two-Source Energy Balance (TSEB)) with established global datasets (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer 8-day global terrestrial product (MOD16A2), Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model (GLEAM), and TerraClimate) at multiple spatial and temporal scales and validates model outcomes with eddy covariance based ground measurements. Insufficient ground-based observations limit comprehensive model validation in the eastern Mediterranean part (Turkey and Balkans). The results reveal significant discrepancies among models and datasets, highlighting the challenges of capturing ET variability in this complex region. Differences are attributed to variations in ecosystem type, energy balance calculations, and water availability constraints. Ground validation shows that STEPS performs well in some French and Italian forests and crops sites but struggles with seasonal ET patterns in some locations. SCOPE mostly overestimates ET due to detailed radiation flux calculations and lacks accurate water limitation representation. TSEB faces challenges in capturing ET variations across different ecosystems at a coarser 10 km resolution. No single model and global dataset accurately represent ET across the entire region. Model performance varies by region and ecosystem. As GLEAM and TSEB excel in semi-arid Savannahs, STEPS and SCOPE are better in grasslands, croplands, and forests in few locations (5 out of 18 sites) which indicates these models need calibration for other locations and ecosystem types. Thus, a region-specific model calibration and validation, sensitive to extremely humid and arid conditions can improve ET estimation across the diverse Mediterranean region.
- Spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture active and passive (SMAP) droughts and their impacts on vegetation in the Central Highlands of VietnamAuthor(s): Thi, Nguyen Quang; Govind, Ajit; Ha, Tuyen V. (Springer (part of Springer Nature) (Springer Open Choice Hybrid Journals))Date: 2025-01-28Type: Journal ArticleStatus: Timeless limited accessDrought is a reoccurring natural phenomenon that presents significant challenges to agricultural production, ecosystem stability, and water resource management. The Central Highlands of Vietnam, a major region of industrial crops and vegetation ecosystems, has become increasingly vulnerable to drought impacts. Despite this vulnerability, limited research has explored the specific characteristics of drought and its seasonal effects on vegetation ecosystems in the region. This study addressed these gaps by providing a detailed analysis of recent soil moisture drought characteristics and their seasonal impacts on vegetation from 2015 to 2023 using weekly soil moisture active passive (SMAP) and moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite time series observations. This analysis derived the soil moisture anomaly index as a proxy to assess drought characteristics and used correlation analysis to quantify their impacts on seasonal vegetation dynamics. Our spatial analysis identified the most significant drought years in 2015 and 2019 in the study region, while the wettest conditions were detected in 2017 and 2022 over the study period. Notably, significant soil moisture deficits were observed in August and October throughout the study period, even though these months typically fall within the rainy season. On average, nearly 25 drought events were detected in the region from 2015 to 2023 due to soil moisture deficits, each lasting approximately 6 weeks. The impact of drought events on the vegetation ecosystem was seasonally pronounced in spring and winter, where droughts were notably higher. Our results provide valuable insights into informed decision-making and sustainable agricultural practices in the region. Understanding the spatial and temporal patterns of drought and its seasonal effects on vegetation can help policymakers and farmers develop targeted strategies to mitigate the adverse impacts, enhance water management practices, and promote drought-resistant crop varieties, thereby maintaining agricultural productivity and ecosystem health amidst increasing climate variability.
- The CGIAR 2030 Global Strategy for Resilient DrylandsAuthor(s): Baum, Michael (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), 2024-12-01)Date: 2024-12-01Type: PresentationStatus: Timeless limited accessPresentation on the CGIAR 2030 Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands.
- Mapping and Profiling Legume Seed Value Chain Actors in Morocco: Chickpea and LentilAuthor(s): Bishaw, Zewdie; Imtiaz, Muhammad; Yigezu, Yigezu; Lammari, Abdelali; Rredani, Latifa; Boughlala, Mohamed (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), 2024-12-01)Date: 2024-12-01Type: Internal ReportStatus: Timeless limited accessIn Morocco, food legumes occupied as large areas as 600 thousand ha in the early 1970s. Thereafter, however, the area under food legumes fluctuated with a general downward trend. For the period 2001-2010, the annual average was 427 thousand ha per year which decreased to 404 thousand ha between 2011 and 2022. In 2024, the area allocated to food legumes is about 200 thousand ha. The decline in food legumes area is due not only to climate variability (periodic droughts) but mainly to other factors such as diseases (including Orobanche and Ascochyta Blight), increased mono-cropping of cereals and other crops, and lack of appropriate technologies (such as lack of high yielding, water efficient, and short duration varieties which are also amenable to mechanization). Moreover, the market for food legumes still suffers from poor organization because it remains controlled by several intermediaries that are exploiting their power to extract more than their fair share of the price without making comparable value addition thereby reducing the price received by food legume producers. In these conditions, more efforts are needed to improve food legume production and rehabilitation. As part of the solution to revitalize food legumes, this study aims to investigate the systemic challenges of the seed system and identify the constraints and opportunities of the main stakeholders. Due to time and resource constraints, only lentils and chickpeas were targeted. According to the results of interviews and surveys, legumes-certified seed production is far from being a priority for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests (MARDWF). However, it is important to note that many actors are involved in the seed sector and the most important ones are AMMS, INRA, FNIS, ONSSA, ONCA, and COMADER. The private sector is involved in the seed sector but not in food legumes. According to the Moroccan Seed Growers Association (AMMS), the Department of Agriculture will launch a new initiative in the 2024-2025 cropping season by targeting seed multipliers operating within the aggregation system and including them under contracts for certified seed multiplication. The constraints of the legume sector do not pertain to only the production of certified seed, but also to the lack of appropriate varieties, limited number of herbicides, lack of sufficient incentives, high demand for labor, and mechanization.