Technology transfer to enhance rural livelihoods and natural resource management in the arabian peninsula 2008 2013

Technology Transfer to Enhance Rural Livelihoods and Natural Resource Management in the Arabian Peninsula

2008-2013

Saudi Arabia

Kuwait

BahrainQatar

Emirates

Oman

Yemen

1995-2000

Strengthening Agricultural Research and Human Resource

Development in the AP.

AFESD, IFAD

2000-2006

Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and Improvement of Major

Production Systems of the AP.AFESD, IFAD, OFID

2008-2013

Technology Transfer to Enhance Rural Livelihoods

and Natural Resource Management

in the Arabian PeninsulaAFESD, IFAD, OFID

2014-2018

Improving food security and sustainable natural resources management

through enhancing integrated agricultural production systems in the Arabian Peninsula

AFESD, IFAD

ICARDA in APDevelop technology 1995-2006

Technology Transfer2008-2013

Up-scaling2014-2018

1995-2000 2000-2006 2008-20130

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

1.25

2 2

0.75

0.921.5

0

0.2

0.2

AFESD IFAD OFID

Mill

ion

US$

ICARDA AP Budget by Donors1995-2013

The countries of the AP vary significantly in terms of:

- income, living standards and economic performance- contribution of agriculture to their economies, rural livelihoods and employment.

Saudi Arabia

Kuwait

BahrainQatar

Emirates

Oman

Yemen

Challenges to Agricultural Development

Excessive use of under ground water

low

erin

g of

wat

er

tabl

e&

sea

w

ater

in

trus

ion

salinity

• Extreme aridity • Limited arable land• Rapid increase in population• Food deficit & insecurity • Water Scarcity & Limited

renewable water resource

Objectives:

(1) Test, evaluate and disseminate improved technology packages that increase crop and livestock production and productivity, increase water-use efficiency and conserve rangeland resources. (2) Enhance the capacity of national research and extension programs to promote the adoption of the targeted technologies and enhanced communication among various stakeholders.

Goal:

Improve livelihoods of poor farmers and pastoralists in the AP through the adoption of sustainable production and natural resource management technologies

Project Components

(i) On-Farm Water Use Efficiency

(ii) Rangelands & Forages

(iii) Protected Agriculture

(i) Indigenous Forage Species (Buffel Grass)

(ii) Seed Technology Units

(iii) Spineless Cactus

(iv)Rangeland Rehabilitation

(v) Integrated Production and Protection Management (IPPM)

(vi)Soilless Production System

IPPM Soilless

Buffel Grass Spineless CactusSTU

Rehabilitation

Cc Cp Ms Cg Pt Ls

Dry matter production of six forages (t/ha) under low level of irrigation (26 liters/unit area of 6.25 m2) at Dhaid Research Station in UAE during May-June

2002

Cenchrus ciliaris (Cc), Panicum turgidum (Pt), Lasiurus scindicus (Ls) and Coelachyrum piercei (Cp)

exotic species Medicago sativa (Ms) and Choris gayana (Cg)

Two indigenous forages Panicum turgidum (Pt) & Cenchrus ciliaris (Cc) are producing significantly higher forages than the exotic species, especially at low

water rates.

Water Use Efficiency of Indigenous Grass Species

The experiment has been further supported with soil moisture monitoring using TDR instrument.

Dry matter production of six forages (t/ha) under deficit irrigation (4 L/m2)

Medicago sativaAlfalfa

Choelachyrum piercei Dakhna

Lasiurus scindicus Da'ay

Chloris gayana Rhodes Grass

Panicum turgidumTomam

Cenchrus ciliarisBuffel Grass

0.05

0.30 0.330.39

0.560.61

56% improvement in productivity

Buffel Grass

Rhodes

grass

•In 2011, Oman growers produced 418,366 ton Green Rhodes grass, Which Required about 228 million m3 of water

Buffel Grass

•For producing same amount of forage with Buffel grass, only 116 million m3 of water was required

Save 112 million m3 of water annually in OmanIf all Rhodes grass production changed to Buffel grass

Chemical composition and gas production values for three desert grass species and Rhodes grass.

Mr Ali Nasser Taisir, Small farmer, Yemen“I am very happy with Buffel grass as it improved the production of meat and milk”“I own cows and camels and I would like to increase planting of the Buffel grass as it is verygood and important for animal nutrition.”

By Dec 2013 about 15 Growers adopted Buffel grass in Yemen

Enhanced quality forage seed production by establishing

Seed Technology Units

4 Seed Technology Units (STU) established in UAE, Oman , Saudi Arabia and recently Qatar.

Seed Technology Unit in

Yemen, Lahej1. All required equipment

and machinery purchased and arrived to Yemen by Mid Nov 2012

2. On the Job Training course on Seed Technology Unit management and maintenance conducted in Lahej on Dec 2012

Rehabilitation of Rangeland

Protection from grazing was very effective on plant cover & plant regeneration in desert rangelands Sulyabiah and Sabah Alahmad locations (Kuwait) and Rawdhat Al Ottoria (Qatar).

Using Pits and Contour lines for rain water harvesting and rehabilitation in Saudi Arabia

Rehabilitation of Rangeland

In Wallan, Yemen, a community rangeland (20 donums) planted by shrubs using different water

harvesting techniques..

Success stories in technology development and transfer to end users

36 Spineless cactus accessions were introduced in Oman by APRP in 2005 and then disseminated

to other AP countries

• To select the well adapted accessions to the different agroecological conditions of the AP

• Water requirement• Possible introduction in animal feed diet

Introduction of Cactus as alternative forage crop and for rangeland rehabilitation

In Yemen, study on spineless cactus continues in Sana’a and Taez area.

In Yemen, study on spineless cactus continues in Sana’a and Taez area.

Protected Agriculture

• Integrated Production & Protection Management Programs (IPPM)

• Soilless Production System

Integrated Production & Protection Management (IPPM)

Improved integrated production and protection Management (IPPM) practices that ensure strong healthy plants with adequate protection from

pests and diseases, using safe control practices with minimal use of chemicals

Components of greenhouse IPPM packages:• GH climate management• Irrigation and fertilization management• Agro-management practices• Mechanical protection• Biological control • Chemical control

Helping the Poor Farmers in the Mountain Terraces of Yemen

• Create additional income for farmers through the cultivation of cash crops• Create additional jobs for the rural population, thereby encouraging farmers to

settle in rural areas• Introduce new techniques of cultivation and irrigation• Intensify the use of terrace lands

Pesticede Fungiside Total

02 2

20

8

28

IPPM

Control

Applying IPPM techniques Yemen

Cucumber 2012 winter season

Number of sprays

Applying IPPM techniques in Northern Highlands of Yemen

Cucumber 2012 winter season Production in 252m2 Greenhouse

12% increase in growers net income

Total cost of Production

Total income Net Benefit

238137

496600

258463264422

471380

229958

income and net benefit (YR)

IPPMControl

Yield (kg)

3785

3450

IPPM Control

Production Total Yield (YR)

Soilless CultureIncreased yield per unit of water, space and energy

Simplified the technology to transfer to Growers

Adoption of Soilless production systemincrease yield and water productivity by average 50%

Before After

CGH, SoilQatar

CGH, SoilUAE

CGH, HydroOman

13

17

19

19

28

38

W P Kg/m3

Tomato in hydroponic and soil

To produce 1 kg of tomato in soil, total water requirement was 110 liter. This amount of water would produce 2,3kg from hydroponics system.

Cucumber Water Productivity (Kg/m3)2013 in Al-Arra Northern Highlands research station

open system soilless culture trial for cucumber production

soilless soil

76

22

Water Productivity (kg/m3)

71% Water saved

Growers feed backMr. Salim Saied Al Eisai – Saham, Oman

Based on my experience,• Hydroponics needs less cost

compared to normal soil for crop protection.

• Fertilizer use in hydroponics is less than soil.

• Hydroponics is also use less water while the production is higher.

• Hydroponics has better yield. • In Hydroponics I am loosing less

plants

I recommend the Hydroponics to all growers and I am planning to expand this system into all my greenhouses.

Project targeted pilot site and achievement by Dec 2013

80

8

5075 70

134

3271

127 120

Target

Project Status in Yemenproject target and achievement by Dec 2013

15

2

15 15

10

15

59

18

4Target

achieved

species

Capacity Building

16 34 24

111

40 32 50

From Jul 2008 to Dec 2013 ICARDA-APRP organized 20 regional training courses where 307 participants

attended

Number Participants

Regional training 20 307

On job training and Field days

19 450

Link with IFAD Development Projects in Yemen

A joint workshop (March 2013 ) and a coordinating meeting (Feb 2014) with IFAD funded projects in Yemen: The potential areas of collaboration were determined.

In 2012 - 2013 about 10 extension agents from other IFAD development projects attended APRP training courses where APRP covered all costs.

increased water productivity Buffel Grass versus Rhodes Grass• 1.52 kg of dry matter /m3 of water for Buffel grass versus 0.36 kg of dry

matter/m3 of water for Rhodes grass in Oman: 5 fold increase

Protected agriculture • 48 kg of tomatoes /m3 water in soilless culture versus 7 Kg/m3 in soil

based protected culture in UAE : 7 fold increase• Increased water productivity by 60 to 100 % of cucumber per m3 of

water in soilless closed System

reduced use of pesticides in IPPM• Reduced number of pesticide sprays by 40 to 60% in greenhouses where

IPPM technology is applied

33

Impact Assessment of Technologies(Project external Review)

Impact Assessment of Technologies(Project external Review)

yield increase in protected agriculture• Increased yield of tomatoes by 192% in soilless culture compared to soil

based protected culture in UAE• Increased yield of cucumber by 40% in soilless closed system in addition

to water saving and reduced fertilizer and pesticide use compared to soilless open system in Oman

• Increased yield of cucumber by 50% in soilless closed system with automated nutrient management compared with closed system with manual nutrient management in Oman

Farmer’s income• The increased water productivity and yields and cost

reduction from water saving and reduced pesticide use resulted in higher income to farmers.

34

CONCLUSIONS by External Review

• The APRP research work is of high return• Given its proven capacity as water saving irrigated forage

crop, the indigenous Buffel grass is a low cost/high return alternative to replace the water demanding Rhodes grass in the Arabian Peninsula

• Both the open system soilless culture as well the closed system with automatic control of nutrients are the way forward for the the intensification and diversification of protected agriculture production systems for high return cash crops in the context of increasing water shortage and salinity in the Arabian Peninsula

35

• Abu Dhabi Farmers' Services Centre has determined that Buffel grass is a more sensible alternative to Rhodes grass, and the organization has begun educating farmers about proper cultivation methods.

• In Oman, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries supporting growers to replace Rhodes to Buffel Grass

• The Oman Government supports farmers by providing infrastructure, credit, technical advice, and financial assistance

• In UAE, Ministry of Water and Environment covers 50% of cost for greenhouse structure and soilless production system;

• In Bahrain, government allocated a large grant to support growers for adopting greenhouse and soilless production systems.

Protected Agriculture1 Indigenous forages2

Policy changes taken by country as a result of the project outcomes

Next StepAPRP new project 2014-2018

Move toward sustainability through scaling-up

Focus on three important themes:• Sustainable intensification of the production

system• Production systems and livelihood resilience• Capacity building and impact assessment

Improving food security and sustainable natural resources management through enhancing integrated agricultural production systems in the Arabian Peninsula

THANK YOU….