Can Small-Scale Dairy Farm Profitability Increase with the Use of Solar Energy Technology? An Experimental Study in Central Tunisia
The dairy sector in Tunisia is based on small-scale farms, with 81% of the breeders owning less than five cows. On these farms, milk is stored in plastic containers, resulting in post-production losses estimated at 10% in the studied region. Due...
A growing urban population and dietary changes increased wheat import bills in Africa to 9% per year. Though wheat production in the continent has been increasing over the past decades, to varying degrees depending on regions, this has not been...
Agricultural lime value chain efficiency for reducing soil acidity in Ethiopia
Soil acidity is challenging agricultural production in Ethiopia. Above 43% of the farmland is under soil acidity problem and it leads to low crop yields and production losses. Ag-lime is widely considered as an effective remedy for amending soil...
Identification, characterization, and validation of NBS-encoding genes in grass pea
Grass pea is a promising crop with the potential to provide food and fodder, but its genomics has not been adequately explored. Identifying genes for desirable traits, such as drought tolerance and disease resistance, is critical for improving...
The Bovine Pangenome Consortium: democratizing production and accessibility of genome assemblies for global cattle breeds and other bovine species
The Bovine Pangenome Consortium (BPC) is an international collaboration dedicated to the assembly of cattle genomes to develop a more complete representation of cattle genomic diversity. The goal of the BPC is to provide genome assemblies and a...
Enhancing Controlled Environment Agriculture in Desert Ecosystems with AC/DC Hybrid Solar Technology
Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) plays a crucial role in promoting sustainable farming practices within the challenging climate of the Arabian Peninsula. Traditional CEAs, however, are confronted with excessive water and electricity...
Seed nutritional quality in lentil (Lens culinaris) under different moisture regimes
The world’s most challenging environmental issue is climate change. Agricultural productivity and nutritional quality are both substantially threatened by extreme and unpredicted climate events. To develop climate resilient cultivars, stress...
Women's Contribution to Rangeland Cultivation: A Policy Blind Spot
For World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought we discuss an ICARDA study that highlights the gender-specific challenges dryland women face in the equitable use and sustainable management of rangelands.
Unlocking the story of resistance to Zymoseptoria tritici in Tunisian old durum wheat germplasm based on population structure analysis
Background Septoria tritici blotch (STB) remains a significant obstacle to durum wheat cultivation on a global scale. This disease remains a challenge for farmers, researchers, and breeders, who are collectively dedicated to reduce its damage...
Beyond Milk and Meat: Prioritizing Traits That Matter to Pastoralists in Ethiopian Goat Breeding Programs
ICARDA's Resilient Agro-Silvo-Pastoral Systems (RASP) team has published a paper that identifies preferred traits in goats by pastoralists in Ethiopia.
