Knowledge Management Portal

Drought and water scarcity have been a critical concern that threatens both food security and the economy globally as well as in Central Asia. Also, climate change is estimated to increase the drought risk in the region. The agricultural sector is vital for addressing the challenges in combating food insecurity, reducing poverty, enabling recovery from the pandemic (like COVID-19), and building resilience. Sustainable and efficient agricultural techniques that optimize land and water usage and help grow and produce more food can contribute to tackling these threats,and catalyze the transformative change of agri-food systems towards greener, inclusive and sustainable development. Scale-appropriate agricultural mechanization is crucial in supporting recovery and building resilience of farming communities to current and future shocks. Adoption of suitable machinery can increase food production, minimize water usage for irrigation, reduce production costs and post-harvest losses, as well as save manpower while also contributing to the reduction in carbon emissions. Thus, the identification, introduction, and scaling up of sustainable climate-smart mechanization practices is important for sustainable agriculture production in the region. This presentation highlights the different climate-smart mechanization options and their benefits for improving crop productivity while reducing production costs applicable to Central Asia.

This study aims to determine the expected level and time to peak at the maximum level of adoption of spineless cactus (SC) technology introduced in the State of Qatar, to investigate the factors influencing adoption of this technology, and to identify the main constraints affecting its wide adoption with particular focus on perceived perceptions of the research and extension (R&E) delivery systems on the potential expected benefits of this innovation. Two sets of methodologies have been used: the first approach dealt with the adoption and diffusion outcome prediction tool (ADOPT). The second approach consists of using the Likert-scale approach, which measures the attitude and perception of researchers and extension agents, rating the degree to which they agree or disagree with the defined characteristics of this technology. The data were gathered using semi-structured surveys targeting researchers and extension agents and focus groups discussions (FGDs) conducted with farmers adopting the SC technology. The empirical findings revealed a predicted adoption level in five and ten years from the starting period on adopting this technology is 80 and 90%, respectively. The analysis suggests many factors contribute to constraining the peak and the time to reach this peak level of adoption, such as farmers’ profit, environmental, and risk orientations, and its ecological and profit advantages. The study outcome also reveals a positive perception of this technology’s characteristics and potential profitability from the national researchers and extension agents, influencing its diffusion and adoption. The influence of characteristics of the technology proved to be essential for farmers’ decision-making on adopting this technology. Establishing the technology characteristics relationship, potential profitability, and adoption will allow decision makers and planners in R&E to determine and target which characteristics of new technology led to their easy transfer and diffusion among the Qatari farmers.

Development eforts have increased women’s perceived empowerment and free dom, yet have failed to sustainably alter gender norms. There is a lack of research investigating reasons for this anomaly. This study, departing from the conventional approach, tries to fll this gap by employing an interpretative phenomenological approach to assess how women have managed to achieve expanded agency while living within a constraining normative environment. We argue that women have the capacity to deviate and the intentions that lead to new behaviors emerge not only from individuals’ attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral con trol, as suggested by the Theory of Planned Behavior, but also in combination with demographic and economic factors. Individuals need to make decisions in three ar eas ―self-conviction (attitude and perceived behavioral control), subjective norms (within household and community), and structures (state and non-state institutions). The results shed light on alternative empowerment pathways that could potentially inform the design of transformational interventions.

Soil is the most available growing media and plants normally grow on it. Soil main functions are to provide anchorage, nutrients, air and water to the plants rooting system. However, soils do pose serious limitations for plant growth, at the time. Presence of disease causing by soil organisms and nematodes, unsuitable soil reaction, salt accumulation due to irrigation, unfavorable soil compaction, poor drainage, degradation due to erosion, etc. are some of them. In greenhouses, agricultural practices in soil will increase the soil-born pathogens such as Nematodes and accumulate salinity. Moreover, the present conventional growing system in soil, wastes a lot of fresh water due to run off and deep percolation. In arid countries, rapid evaporation from the soil surface may also lead to salinity problems. To address such problems, ICARDA developed, simplified and introduced soilless culture techniques which are applicable at the growers’ field in the Arabian Peninsula.

On the 23rd of September, 2022, a group of farmers and researchers visited the Khorezm farmers fields to observe mungbean production.

Training workshop on Improved Production Practices of Mungbean Cultivation (Harvest and post-harvest storage) was held in Khorezm on September 22, 2022

Spineless forage cactus can be a cost-effective solution for the livestock keepers of semi-arid tropics by providing a stable source of nutritive forage capable of maintaining healthy and productive herds/flocks especially during lean periods. Therefore, the feasibility of growing cactus as an alternate source of feed and fodder in different land use systems was explored for these areas. Spineless fodder cactus was planted under various land uses and production systems like boundary plantation in rainfed farming systems, silvopasture, hortipasture, intercropping with forages like tri-specific hybrid (TSH) and cowpea, waste lands and also on farmers’ fields. The growth and yield of spineless forage cactus was recorded at the one and half year-old stage. On average, cactus achieved 74.8 cm height with 13.4 cladodes plant‑1 and 7.95 kg plant‑1 fresh biomass in TSH based intercropping system. The fresh fodder yield from cactus, TSH and inter-cropping system as a whole was 79.5 t ha‑1, 106.34 t ha‑1 year‑1 and 185.84 t ha‑1, respectively. The survival, cladodes plant‑1 and green fodder yield of cactus in Leucaena based silvipastoral system ranged between 62 and 81%, 2-7 and 1.5-5.25 kg plant‑1 while the corresponding values for Emblica based hortipastoral system were 67-86%, 3-10 and 2.4-8 kg plant‑1. The boundary plantation of cactus in rainfed farming system recorded 84-96% survival, 4-14 cladodes plant‑1 and 4.8-16.8 kg plant‑1 green fodder yield. Similarly, the cactus planted on waste land recorded 73-92% survival, 3-12 cladodes plant‑1 and 2.7-10.8 kg plant‑1 fresh biomass. The cactus planted in boundary plantation system recorded higher growth and fresh biomass followed by grass inter-cropping and least under shade in silvipastoral and hortipastoral systems.

Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.) fruits are increasingly in demand by consumers in Jordan and across the Mediterranean region. For many decades, the only cactus pear fruit available in local markets were the yellow-orange fruits. Recently, over 50 new cactus pear accessions with different genetic and morphological traits and different fruit colors ranging from white to red have been introduced and evaluated at Mushaqqar research station at the National Center for Agricultural Research (NARC) in Jordan. Awareness campaigns using field days, broadcasting through local media channel and farmer-to-farmer visits have been used to promote adoption and change consumer behavior. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of an awareness campaign aimed at boosting the adoption of new cactus pear accessions in Jordan. The data were collected from a survey of 100 households who recently received the new cactus pear accessions. The results revealed that 50 percent of farmers were aware of the new accessions through television. The new cactus pear accessions created enough interest among 25 percent of the farmers surveyed to start cactus pear cultivation for their own consumption and influenced at least 15% to start planting cactus pear as a business opportunity. Farmers who already have cactus plantations think the new accessions will bring a better market price. These findings suggest that raising awareness about new agricultural technologies can increase adoption and mainstream media could be an effective way to disseminate the new cactus pear accessions and offer an opportunity to help farmers diversify their products and increase their incomes.