Knowledge Management Portal

Marginal arid zones in the south Mediterranean are faced with the dramatic departure of their labor forces through migration. Interest in the capacity of the dromedary species to enhance desert ecosystems and to be a potential lever of economic development of these marginal zones only started to grow in the last two decades. Based on an empirical survey of 179 stakeholders in four Mediterranean countries, we explored the links of the stakeholders in the dromedary sector in two dimensions: horizontal links with peers and vertical links along the value chain and in resource management. Both descriptive statistics and social network analysis highlight the original organization of the dromedary sector around herders and their social and cultural organization at the territorial level. Therefore, even if milk production and processing start to constitute an opportunity for the young generation who do not necessarily have the financial capacity to invest in a large dromedary herd, this change towards milk valorization can only happen if it is linked with the traditional system based on mobility. Using a systemic approach and working toward multiple valorizations of dromedary products instead of only targeting milk productivity should be explored.

Actual Evapotranspiration (ETa) is the main component required to understand both hydrological and ecological processes between the land surface and the atmosphere. Reliable spatiotemporal measurements of ET are important for water resources planning, management and monitoring, efficient irrigation scheduling, and climate change mitigation scenarios development. Virtually no existing coordinated measurements and initiatives to validate various estimates of ETa are systematically carried out in the NENA Region although the region is extremely water scarce and vulnerable to climate change. Therefore, the Water Scarcity Initiative (WSI) of FAO for the Near East and North Africa, conceived and promoted the coordination of ETa field measurements as vital in the region with a consistent protocol established through this ET-Network project, which could effectively be used to validate and calibrate the remotely sensed estimations. The overarching objective of this project (named NENA-ETNet) was to establish and operate a NENA Regional Network of specialized institutions, within the countries of reference, to conduct field measurements of actual ET, over selected crops and for at least four seasons, in order to evaluate the accuracy of existing RS-based ET estimates. The idea was to build a common regional understanding on ETa measurements (ETa) in the field and through RS, on accuracy assessments of RS ETa data of different databases and on their analyses and use for agriculture-related applications (e.g., water accounting, water productivity, water management, etc.). Therefore, ICARDA was called upon, in collaboration with FAO and five countries in the region, to establish such a regional ET network to obtain reliable source of ground measurements of ET with the multiple goals of calibrating and validating RSbased ETa retrievals, calibrating and validating crop models and to do regional synthesis using the measured data in a multi-location, multi-season manner, in the context of regional water scarcity. The NENA-ETNet had a special focus on comparing CORDOVA-ET system using other field ETa methods of determination in order to decide if CORDOVA-ET method could be used as a regional standardized validation protocol. The participating countries were Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia. The participating countries now have good capacity and facilities for ET measurements using energy balance and micro-meteorological methodologies, lysimeter and gravimetric methods. This report briefly summarizes all the project research results, learnings, challenges, recommendations and strategies on the way forward.

Reliable spatiotemporal measurements of evapotranspiration (ETa) are important for water resources planning, management and monitoring, efficient irrigation scheduling, and development and monitoring of climate change mitigation scenarios. Due to complex land-plant-atmosphere interactions and natural variability in topography, soil moisture and vegetation type, obtaining accurate information on ET is often challenging, especially in agroecosystems where water is scarce or fluctuates seasonally. There are several conventional field methods used to determine ETa, including: 1) the Eddy covariance/energy balance method; 2) the Bowen-ratio/energy balance method; 3) Weighing lysimeters; 4) Soil-moisture depletion method; and 5) Large Aperture Scintillometer. These methods have their own specific advantages and limitations based on the theory behind and on the instrumentation requirements. However, what they have in common is, among others, the restricted sampling area and the complexity and extremely high costs when attempting to scale-up to larger areas. For large scales (e.g., watershed, sub-national, national and regional), ETa estimation is often established through satellite Remote Sensing (RS), due to progress that has been made in space science in recent years. There are several well-established RS-based algorithms for the determination of ETa, including SEBAL (Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land), METRIC (Mapping Evapotranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration), SEBS (Surface Energy Balance System), ETLook, ETMonitor, etc. Unfortunately, these methods also have their own specific advantages and limitations and are all suffering from a generally limited and scattered field testing. Virtually no testing is systematically carried out in the NENA Region. Therefore, the Water Scarcity Initiative (WSI) of FAO for the Near East and North Africa conceived and promoted the establishment of this ET-Network so that ETa field data could effectively be used to test and calibrate the remote sensing-based estimations.

The Republic of Moldova promoting agriculture, women empowerment, youth, knowledge management, and best practices through Learning Route.

The Republic of Moldova promoting agriculture, women empowerment, youth, knowledge management, and best practices through Learning Route

Faba bean is a cool-season grain legume crop, which is grown worldwide for food and feed. Despite a decrease in area under faba bean in the past, the interest in growing faba bean is increasing globally due to its high seed protein content and its excellent ecological service. The crop is, however, exposed to diverse biotic and abiotic stresses causing unstable, low grain yield. Although, sources of resistance to main diseases, such as ascochyta blight (Ascochyta fabae Speg.), rust (Uromyces viciae-fabae (Pers.) Schroet.), chocolate spot (Botrytis fabae Sard.) and gall disease (Physioderma viciae), have been identified, their resistance is only partial and cannot prevent grain yield losses without agronomical practices. Tightly associated DNA markers for host plant resistance genes are needed to enhance the level of resistance. Less progress has been made for abiotic stresses. Different breeding methods are proposed, but until now line breeding, based on the pedigree method, is the dominant practice in breeding programs. Nonetheless, the low seed multiplication coefficient and the requirement for growing under insect-proof enclosures to avoid outcrossing hampers breeding, along with the lack of tools such as double haploid system and cytoplasmic male sterility. This reduces breeding population size and speed of breeding hence the chances of capturing rare combinations of favorable alleles. Availability and use of the DNA markers such as vicine-convicine (vc−) and herbicide tolerance in breeding programs have encouraged breeders and given confidence in marker assisted selection. Closely linked QTL for several biotic and abiotic stress tolerance are available and their verification and conversion in breeder friendly platform will enhance the selection process. Recently, genomic selection and speed breeding techniques together with genomics have come within reach to accelerate the genetic gains in faba bean. Advancements in genomic resources with other breeding tools, methods and platforms will enable to accelerate the breeding process for enhancing genetic gain in this species.

IDIS is a multi-issue think tank, working through a web of professional clusters. Our approach to the idea of think tanks role in Moldova is to achieve professional credibility in the areas of national security, welfare, foreign policy, sustainable development, and competitiveness, fairness, working both with decision-makers, academia, and young leaders, creating real alternatives in all aspects of policy-making. IDIS cares to boost advocacy platforms; it networks with various professional groups, unions, business associations, innovators, educators, and other entities, in a number of areas where national interests and cohesion can be achieved in togetherness.

IFAD Consolidated Programme Implementation Unit ( CPIU IFAD) was created by the Government of the Republic of Moldova for the implementation of IFAD programmes, after the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the International Agricultural Development Fund in 1996. The components of the IFAD programs shall be implemented in accordance with the procedures established and approved by the IFAD in agreement with the Government of the Republic of Moldova. CPIU IFAD shall be responsible for the management, implementation, and monitoring of the activities of the programs as well as the coordination of activities with the institutions and organizations participating in the implementation of the programs.