Winter Cereals and Food Legumes in Mountainous Areas

ICARDA's founding fathers had seen the importance of high-elevation areas in West Asia and North Africa (W ANA) when they developed the research mandate for the Center. Estimates indicate that one-third of the population in this region lives in mountainous areas at altitudes above 1000 m. and that these areas account for about 30% of the total arable land. While it is true that research programs. both national and international. have paid greater attention to low-elevation areas. the significance of agricultural and pastoral production in mountainous areas is indisputable. In the context of ICARDA's mandate. for example, more than 35% of the total wheat produced in the region comes from mountainous areas, as does a significant number of livestock. Food legumes. particularly chickpea and lentil. occupy an important place in the farming systems, and are an integral component in the diet of the population in these areas. While constrained by several factors common to all parts of WANA. Particularly small. scattered holdings and uncertain rainfall. agriculture in mountainous areas. nevertheless. has distinct problems of its own associated with extremes of temperature at the beginning and end of the growing season; and degraded soils with poor water-holding capacities. Further. infrastructures in these areas are generally poor. All this makes crop and livestock production in mountainous areas much more difficult than at lower-elevations. Though some components of the technology developed for lowlands can be used for highlands. special efforts are needed to work out solutions to the problems specific to high-elevation areas. ICARDA has maintained its original interest in the mountainous areas. Indeed, the Center has increased its efforts in the last few years and intends to further expand them in the coming years. As part of its preparation for this expansion. ICARDA and the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture. Forestry. and Rural Affairs jointly organized an international symposium in Ankara in July 1987. which was attended by participants from many parts of Asia and North Africa and international organizations. The Seminar was intended to obtain a clearer perspective of the problems of the mountainous areas and the opportunity for solving them. The seminar. achieved this objective well. This volume contains the proceedings of the symposium and is perhaps the first of its kind in assembling information on problems and prospects of crop and animal production in the high-elevation areas of WANA.