Information Exchange on Arid Lands Agriculture




  • Dry Lands Research Institute
    The Dry Lands Research Institute is a part of the University of California-Riverside.

    For more information contact:

    David Bainbridge, Director
    Dry Lands Research Institute
    2217 Geology
    University of California-Riverside
    Riverside, CA 92521 USA.
    714-787-5797



  • Centre for Arid Zone Studies
    The Centre for Arid Zone Studies is a part of the School of Agriculture, Forestry and Allied Sciences at the University College of North Wales in Bangor, U.K. The role of the center is to establish links with overseas institutions in arid zones to facilitate joint studies and allow students in Bangor UK or overseas direct experience of field problems. They provide facilities and funding for overseas scientists at to allow them to undertake research on problems related to arid and semi-arid zone development. Some of the courses include: Rural resource Management, Water Resources Geophysics, World Animal Production, and Environmental forestry, Animal Parasitology. The Centre for Arid Zone Studies also undertakes contract research, development and advisory work to provide a base for the Centre's educational and research activities.

    For more information contact:

    Professor R.G.Wyn Jones, Director
    Centre for Arid Zone Studies
    School of Agriculture
    Forestry and Allied Sciences
    University College of North Wales
    Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW
    U.K.



  • The Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA)
    CRIDA is a constituent of the Indian Council of Agricultural research (ICAR), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Agriculture of the government of India. Their purpose is to conduct basic and applied research for improving the productivity of natural resources in drylands. They are active in research to develop techniques and systems for long term conservation and efficient utilization of dryland environmental resources. To this end they work within several research divisions: Crop Science, Resource Management, Design and Analysis, and Transfer of Technology. Projects have been oriented to soil and water conservation, crop production, and alternate land use systems. One project, a Model Watershed Program instituted in 1983, not only stabilized the economy of the watershed farmers, but actually improved their conditions when compared to non-watershed farmers. An Operational Research Project tests proven technology on farmers' fields to identify constraints in the adoption of the technology and to obtain feedback for continued research. Other research projects have controlled soil erosion, increased crop yields, improved water infiltration, developed water harvesting and storage techniques, reduced soil water evaporation

    Dr. R.P. Singh, Director
    CRIDA
    Hyderabad-500 659
    INDIA



  • The Central Soil Salinity Research Institute of Karnal India
    CSSRI was created by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. It is one of the 35 ICAR institutes of India. In order to solve the problems of utilizing unproductive and barren salt-affected lands and to prevent the further spread of these problems, the Institute adopted several objectives: To collect information on salt-affected soils of India, to study salt and water dynamics in irrigated agriculture, to research the factors governing the chemical composition of surface and underground waters, and evolve tolerant crop varieties for saline and sodic conditions. Research has focused on characterizing and classifying salt-affected soil, understanding the physics and chemistry of such soil, identify crop species with nitrogen fixing abilities, study the relative effectivity of fertilizers for salt affected soils, and develop crop production technologies and species for saline soils.

    Dr. R.C. Mondal, Director
    Main Institute
    CSSRI
    Karnal-132001
    INDIA
    91-0184-3874



  • BAOBAB/ALIN
    One of the best publications for the African region is Baobab, the main organ of the Arid Lands Information Network, an office of Oxfam. The network and later the magazine were established as a result of a conference held by Oxfam in 1987. In order to facilitate the exchange of information on arid lands development, the magazine Baobab publishes information on meetings, training courses, job opportunities, other networks, and books and reports of interest. The magazine is published in English and French and is free to network members.

    For more information contact:

    Katharine McCullough, Administrator
    Arid Lands Information Network
    274 Bandbury road
    Oxford OX2 7DZ
    United Kingdom.



  • Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research
    The Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research is a part of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. This institute is a national center for desert research which focuses on an interdisciplinary approach to the research and development of arid zones. Some of the areas of research being explored at the Institute for Desert Research include: desert hydrology; desert meteorology; desert ecology; genetic development of desert plants and animals for human use; the application of ancient agricultural methods developed for desert farming; building climatology; applied hydrobioloby; sociology in desert communities; nomad settlement; and desert architecture.

    For more information contact:

    The Director
    The Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research
    Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
    P.O. Box 1025
    Beer-Sheva 84110
    ISRAEL



  • ENTRE NOUS
    Entre Nous is the local newsletter of the West African regional center of the International Information Exchange Network of Rodale Institute. The office is located in ThiŽs, Senegal. The newsletter is the main organ of a cooperative research program which exists between Rodale Institute's International Program and the farmers of the region. The purposes of this French language newsletter is to share discoveries made there in dry lands agriculture with other groups in semi arid areas. The research focus is on regenerative farming methods appropriate for the Sahelian agroclimatic zone, and features a section on research of botanical pesticides.

    For more information contact:

    VorŽ Sek
    Entre Nous
    B.P. A237
    ThiŽs, Senegal




  • Sahel Info Network
    The goal of the Sahel Information Network is to help eliminate gaps in information which limit the effectiveness of NGOs working to halt environmental degradation of the the Sahel region of Africa. The project was initiated by the New York based Industry Council for Development (IDC), an international development organization supported by private industry. The United Nations Development Programme helped design the project and has contributed essential financial support. The project involves the cooperation of private companies, non-governmental organizations, international aid agencies, governments and regional organizations.

    The Sahel Information Network operates through personal computers which house information from NGO projects in several countries data bases. The participating NGO association centers are found in four countries: CCA/ONG in Mali; GAP in Niger; SPONG in Burkina Faso; and CONGAD in Senegal. By July of 1988 each center had created at least two electronic data bases "ngo information directory" and NGO Projects". information from the sahel institute documentation program (rŽsadoc) is also accessible to the participating ngo's.

    for more information contact:

    josephine mazza or ingrid anderson
    united nations sudano-sahelian office
    e. 45th st. new york, ny 10017
    (212) 906-5975



  • haramata
    bulletin of the drylands: people, policies, programmes. this newsletter covers issues of drylands agriculture. some of the topics they covered in a recent issue include: the sahel information system, water management in botswana, and women and the environment.

    for more information contact the editors:

    camilla toulmin or robin sharp
    international institute for environment and development
    3 endsleigh street
    london, wc1h 0dd
    uk



  • drought network news
    drought network news is a newsletter published three times a year by the international drought information center (idic). idic is part of the department of agricultural meteorology at the university of nebraska-lincoln. the newsletter focuses on drought policy around the world, drought monitoring, and rehabilitation. the director is donald a. wilhite.

    for subscriptions write to:

    jan schinstock
    department of agricultural meteorology
    236 l. w. chase hall
    university of nebraska-lincoln
    lincoln, ne 68583-0728, usa



  • the international center for agricultural research in the dry areas
    icarda is one of thirteen international agricultural research centers under the aegis of cgiar. research focuses on improving farming systems for north africa and west asia. they work with wheat, barley, chickpea, lentils, faba bean, pasture legumes, and small ruminants. icarda's collections in their genebank exceeds 85,000 accessions which are conserved on a medium and long term basis.

    for more information contact:

    a.b. damania
    icarda
    p.o. box 5466
    aleppo, syria



  • drought defeaters project
    the henry doubleday research association drought defeaters programme brings together scientists and aid agencies from developed countries, with scientists, foresters and local groups from developing countries. together, these groups are contributing to long term solutions to desertification and soil loss by the development of sustainable agriculture and forestry systems in arid and semi-arid areas.

    the drought defeaters project aims to collect underexploited plant species from arid and semi-arid areas; investigate their characteristics, uses, and propagation; assess the performance of these species in the field in arid areas; and distribute selected material through a world-wide network of local groups.

    for more information contact:

    dr. phil harris
    drought defeaters project
    hdra, ryton-on-dunsmore
    coventry cv8 3lg
    uk



  • the semi-arid tropical crops information service (satcris)
    this organization collects, documents, and disseminates information on sorghum, millet, groundnut, and chickpea and pigeonpea in the semi-arid tropics. the service is located at the international crops research institute for the semi-arid tropics (icrisat) at patancheru, india. satcris draws on the data bases of the commonwealth agricultural bureaux international (cabi) and fao (agris) it also contains references to "grey literature" such as conference papers and project reports. if you need information on the crops mentioned above or have documents or information to share, please contact:

    satcris
    icrisat
    patancheru
    andhra pradesh 502 324
    india



  • the international crops research institute for the semi-arid tropics
    icrisat is a nonprofit, scientific, research and training institute receiving support from donors through the consultative group on international agricultural research. their mandate is to improve the yield, stability, and food quality of five crops basic to life in the semi-arid tropics and to develop farming systems that will make maximum use of the human and animal resources and limited rainfall f the region. the crops researched by icrisat are sorghum and pearl millet, chickpea, pigeonpea, and groundnut. icrisat's headquarters are at patancheru, india, but it also has scientific staff posted in six countries of africa, in mexico, pakistan, and syria, and five cooperative research stations in india.

    contact:

    international crops research institute for the semi-arid tropics
    patancheru p.o.
    andhra pradesh 502 324
    india
    telex: 0152-203 or 0155-6366