Climate-smart Rainfed Agriculture for Dry Areas

The course conducted by ICARDA focused on the different approaches towards rainfed
agriculture, the different conditions that guide us towards solutions, and the interpretation
of solutions on long-term sustainability of agricultural production.
Water scarcity is usually the biggest yield-limiting factor in the dry areas. Supplemental
irrigation is an important technique to overcome water stress in rainfed croplands of West
Asia and North Africa and become climate-smart. Supplemental irrigation – providing small
quantities of water at crucial growth stages, to supplement rainfall – can increase both yield
and water productivity, which is the quantity of grain produced per unit of water used.
The course was developed to introduce the framework, understand the impact of the
"solutions" selected for rainfed agriculture (see details Annex I) with the expectation that
the trainees will serve as trainers upon return to their respective countries and train
another 20-25 technicians.