Frequent drought and heat spells especially after the onset of flowering are common events causing substantial yield losses to agricultural production. Researchers lay emphasis on improving the yield potential and stability of crop genotypes by...
Wheat and barley seed system in Syria: How diverse are wheat and barley varieties and landraces from farmer’s fields?
The present study described the diversity of wheat and barley varieties and landraces available in farmer’s fields in Syria using different indicators. Analysis of spatial and temporal diversity and coefficient of parentage along with...
2014 went on record as the hottest year ever measured, a telling sign that climate change is already here. The agriculture sector is predicted to take the heaviest toll, with the hardest hit being smallholder farmers in developing countries...
Estimating soil erosion in sub-Saharan Africa based on landscape similarity mapping and using the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE)
Soil erosion is one of the major forms of land degradation in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with serious impact on agricultural productivity. Due to the absence of reliable data at appropriate resolution and differences in the methods used, there are...
Genetics- and genomics-based interventions for nutritional enhancement of grain legume crops: status and outlook
Meeting the food demands and ensuring nutritional security of the ever increasing global population in the face of degrading natural resource base and impending climate change is the biggest challenge of the twenty first century. The...
Identification of genes that have undergone adaptive evolution in cassava (Manihot esculenta) and that may confer resistance to cassava brown streak disease
Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is a vital food security crop and staple in Africa, yet cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) and cassava mosaic disease result in substantial yield losses. The aim of this study was to identify genes that have...
Assessing Agricultural Water Productivity in Desert Farming System of Saudi Arabia
The primary objective of this study was to assess the water productivity (WP) of the annual (wheat, barley, and corn) and biennial (alfalfa and Rhodes grass) crops cultivated under centerpivot irrigation located over desert areas of the Al-Kharj...
Supplementing diets of Awassi ewes with olive cake and tomato pomace: on-farm recovery of effects on yield, composition and fatty acid profile of the milk
Two experiments were carried out in Syria with the purpose of investigating to which extent the effects of including 30 % olive cake (replacing parts of forage and concentrate) or tomato pomace (replacing concentrate) in the diet, described...