MELSpace (Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning)
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Assessing the effectiveness of low-enthalpy geothermal energy for greenhouse temperature regulation towards enhancing desert agriculture
No full textThis study investigates the viability and potential of the Earth-Air Heat Exchanger (EAHE) lowenthalpy geothermal system for greenhouse climate control in arid regions, specifically addressing the prevalent challenge of limited meteorological data. Our approach integrates ERA5-Land data with a subsurface soil temperature model, enabling accurate EAHE design and performance prediction in data-scarce environments like Bahariya Oasis, Egypt. The research confirmed the significant thermal stability of the subsurface soil, establishing its potential as a consistent heat source/sink. Initial simulations highlighted effective winter heating but revealed a need for enhanced summer cooling. We demonstrated that optimizing the EAHE system by increasing airflow successfully maintained greenhouse temperatures within near-optimal ranges (below 35 ◦C in summer, above 20 ◦C in winter) throughout the year. This achievement validates EAHE’s effectiveness for dual heating and cooling in extreme climates. This work provides a robust, data-driven methodology for designing and implementing sustainable, climate-controlled greenhouses in challenging arid zones
Questionnaire d’enquête : Etude de la durabilité de la chaine de valeur huile d’olive dans la région d’Elles, délégation de Sers, gouvernorat du Kef (Méthode TAPE)
No full textCette enquête vise à évaluer la durabilité de la chaîne de valeur de l’huile d’olive dans la région d’Elles, gouvernorat du Kef, en utilisant la méthode TAPE (Outil d’évaluation des performances de l’agroécologie). Elle recueille les avis des parties prenantes locales afin d’évaluer les pratiques agroécologiques et la viabilité économique
Baseline high-resolution maps of soil nutrients in Morocco to support sustainable agriculture
No full textPhosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are essential fertilizer elements whose recommendations require soil analysis tailored to crop-specific needs. However, in developing countries like Morocco, access to open databases on nutrient bioavailability remains limited, hindering data-driven agricultural strategies. This paper presents the first national reference maps of available P and exchangeable K at 250 m resolution over Morocco’s croplands using digital soil mapping with machine learning algorithms and environmental covariates. Unlike previous efforts employing traditional interpolation methods, these maps were developed using Random Forest by integrating 5,276 soil samples for P and 6,978 for K with 76 environmental covariates representing climate, topography, vegetation, and parent material. Model validation using independent test datasets demonstrated strong performance, with R2 values of 0.78 for P and 0.80 for K. Uncertainty assessment through bootstrapping confirmed prediction stability across diverse agricultural landscapes. These baseline maps enhance fertilizer recommendations, promote precision farming, and support agricultural sustainability. The maps are freely available through open-access repository, enabling evidence-based decision-making for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to improve nutrient management efficiency
Systematic review on the impacts of community-based sheep breeding programs on animal productivity, food security, women's empowerment, and identification of interventions for climate-smart systems under the extensive production system in Ethiopia
No full textThis systematic review was conducted to appraise the impact of community-based sheep breeding programs in Ethiopia on animal genetic improvement, household food security, women’s empowerment, and to identify integrative climate-smart interventions. The review includes 51 documents from databases such as PubMed, AJOL, CAB Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, together with grey literature and institutional reports. Community-based breeding programs (CBBP) in Ethiopia provide a participatory approach that empowers farmers by addressing the limitations of crossbreeding and nucleus breeding programs. CBBP have brought significant improvements in growth and reproductive traits, food security, and women empowerment. Compared to baseline values, the intervention resulted in a 3.63 %, 5.6 %, 7.58 %, and 7.25 % improvement in birth weight, weaning weight, six-month weight, and yearling weight, respectively. Besides, litter size was improved by 0.09, and lambing intervals and age at first lambing were reduced by 21.31 days and 75.68 days, respectively. These gains has got translated into improved household livelihoods and food security through increased income from the sale of improved animals. Since 2019, seven women-led CBBPs comprising 486 members have been established, enhancing women’s participation in small ruminant breeding. For the implementation of small ruminant breeding, including CBBPs, 16 stakeholders with 34 linkages were identified. However, apart from research centers, kebele experts, and projects such as the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), most institutions have contributed little, largely due to unclear institutional frameworks. This gap has resulted in the malfunctioning of several CBBP villages. Despite notable achievements, the program continuous to face technical, financial, and institutional challenges persist. Strengthening CBBPs through the integration of climate-smart strategies remains critical for ensuring long-term sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Report on local indicators review and visioning update workshop - GDA Elles; Kef ,Tunisia
No full textThe report shows the different parts of the workshop and the results of the discussion. Indicator prioritization of the different categories: social, environmental and economic
Baseline Assessment for the Development of ICARDA’s Interactive Capacity Development Platform on Agricultural Water Management in Dry Areas
No full textThe report addresses water scarcity in dry regions, emphasizing the critical need for a digital e-learning platform tailored to water management. It highlights ICARDA's role in bridging knowledge gaps and improving agricultural practices amid climate challenges. Existing platforms provide high-quality, multilingual content but often suffer from outdated materials, low interactivity, and insufficient contextualization for arid environments. The authors recommend developing a new platform that integrates practical training, real-world applications, and strong institutional partnerships, ensuring accessibility and relevance for practitioners and policymakers in dryland areas
Breeding European Legumes for Increased Sustainability (BELIS) Project WP4 - Periodic Report
No full textICARDA evaluated diverse, genotyped panels of faba bean (300 accessions), lentil (300 accessions), and common vetch (280 accessions) across contrasting environments in Terbol, Lebanon (high rainfall) and Marchouch, Morocco (low rainfall/drought) during 2023–2024. In faba bean, significant variation was detected for phenology, plant height, yield components, and seed traits. Principal component analysis (PCA) explained 52.3% of variance at Terbol and 62.1% at Marchouch, with seed size traits and grain yield contributing most to diversity. Accessions were also screened for Ascochyta blight, chocolate spot, rust, and orobanche resistance.
For lentil, wide and highly significant variation was observed for flowering, maturity, biological and seed yield, and seed weight across both sites. Screening at Marchouch revealed substantial diversity for orobanche resistance.
In common vetch, significant variability was found for flowering time, maturity, yield, and yield components. PCA explained 56.4% of total variation, highlighting seed yield and pod number as key contributors. Results support future genomic selection efforts with CSIC
Climate Adaptation Strategies - Field Survey on Farmers' Perceptions Questionnaire
No full textSurvey questionnaire used to collect data on farmers’ perceptions, impacts, and adaptation strategies in two Ethiopian sheep CBBP sites, Bonga and Menz
Spatial Assessment of Land Suitability for Sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) Cultivation in Tunisia
No full textNative and adapted forage species such as Sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) offer a promising solution to Tunisia’s feed challenges. Sulla is a deep-rooted, drought-tolerant Mediterranean legume that thrives in calcareous soils with a high calcium carbonate content and performs well under Tunisia’s climatic conditions. It provides high-quality, protein-rich forage suitable for grazing, hay, and silage. Importantly, Sulla naturally fixes nitrogen, enhancing soil fertility and reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers, making it valuable for sustainable livestock-feed systems. In addition, Sulla contains anti-methanogenic compounds (AMC) such as condensed tannins, which can cost-effectively reduce enteric CH₄ production while maintaining or even improving pasture productivity. Its resilience during dry periods and rapid regrowth after rainfall helps stabilize forage availability across seasons. Promoting the cultivation and use of Sulla and other native or climate-adapted forage species can reduce reliance on imported feed, improve livestock diet quality, lower methane emissions, and strengthen the resilience of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities. Therefore, this study focuses on identifying potential suitable areas for Sulla cultivation by applying a GIS-based Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) technique across the Tunisia landscape
Management of Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) on Summer Maize at the PHI Platform in Qob Elisa, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
No full textThe fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, an invasive pest, poses a significant threat to irrigated summer maize production in Lebanon and other countries in West Asia and North Africa, endangering food security and farmers’ incomes. A field study was conducted at Qob Elias (PHI-IP site) in Lebanon during the summer of 2025 to evaluate the effectiveness of pheromone trap-based insecticides in controlling the FAW infesting summer maize. Two maize fields were planted with imported cultivar (cv. Nour), and the FAW was monitored using specific pheromone traps to track pest dynamics. Foliar insecticides were applied based on trap data to ensure timely interventions. Results revealed that FAW population peaked between September 10 and 29, highlighting the importance of early planting and proactive management before the peak infestation. The IPM approach significantly reduced FAW damage, achieving unobservable infestation levels compared to neighboring farmers employing traditional methods. This study highlights the critical role of pheromone traps in monitoring pest populations and reducing insecticide use, offering an effective and sustainable strategy for managing FAW in Lebanese maize fields. Neighboring farmers participated in knowledge-sharing activities, promoting wider adoption of IPM practices in collaboration with scientists from ICARDA and LARI