Over the years, ICBA has been generating root zone soil moisture data at the 5-kilometer resolution monthly for the entire region for the period of January 2000 up to the present.
Root zone soil moisture data is, therefore, necessary for scheduling irrigation times, forecasting crop yields, and especially early warning of droughts. This type of data is also crucially important as several countries in the region face frequent and severe dry spells caused by climate change.
How ICBA supports decision-making on rainfed agriculture in Middle East, North Africa
27 July 2020
Soil moisture is almost everything for rainfed agriculture. It is a key factor determining crop productivity. It is especially important in rainfed areas of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) - the most water-scarce region in the world. Farmers in most of the region practice rainfed agriculture and rely heavily on moisture available at the root zone level.
Under a four-year project called “Improving Agricultural Resilience to Salinity through Development and Promotion of Pro-poor Technologies” (or RESADE), scientists have been working with different national partners since 2019 to map salt-affected areas, conduct preliminary studies and establish best practice hubs.
To achieve the objectives, scientists are using a participatory approach involving all beneficiaries at every stage of the project implementation.
Helping smallholders cope with soil salinity in sub-Saharan Africa
22 July 2020
The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) is working with smallholder farmers, including women, in salt-affected areas of seven sub-Saharan African countries to help them better deal with the challenges of soil salinity and climate change.
The main focus will be on introducing improved germplasm and scaling up agricultural value chains for climate-resilient and underutilized crops such as quinoa in marginal areas.
ICBA partners with Indian agribusiness society
20 July 2020
The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) and the Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP) have agreed to collaborate on introducing sustainable agricultural practices in India’s marginal areas to improve rural communities’ food, nutrition and income security.
