| |
| |
|
|
Extensions and Affiliates:
Institute for Agriculture & Applied Biology
(Ben-Gurion University of the Negev)
|
 |
|
| |
| |
Training course on Combating Desertification with Plants, Israel
| |
The Institute for Agriculture & Applied Biology in Beer Sheva was
established to provide the scientific basis for sustainable
agriculture and afforestation in Israel's Negev - the semiarid region
which contains 60% of its land area.
Over time, research at the Institute clustered around two main
scientific topics:
utilizing saline groundwater (of which there is an abundance in the
Negev) for direct irrigation of economically valuable plants (fruits,
vegetables, ornamental and industrial crops, etc.)
introduction and domestication of plants from other regions in
order to evaluate their potential contribution to the development -
economic or environmental - of the region.
The recurring images of drought and famine that periodically dominate
the media stimulated Institute scientists to ask themselves what
aspects of their experience are relevant to the countries of the
developing world where desertification causes a constant decline in
land productivity. IPALAC - the International Program for Arid Land
Crops - is the end product of that process. IPALAC is based on the
same approach used in the Negev - introduction and domestication of
appropriate plants.
The definition of "appropriate plants" depends on many factors,
including climate, rainfall (or access to water sources), soils,
policy (i.e., land tenure), infrastructure (availability of roads,
electricity, research/scientific support, credit) and markets.
With this approach in hand, IPALAC began looking for partners who
shared the view that the wealth of the plant kingdom was hardly being
tapped in the semiarid and arid zones of the developing world. These
partners included scientists and researchers from the countries in
question, non-governmental organizations, and UN and other agencies
whose mandate is to improve the lot of mankind.
MASHAV has played a key role in IPALAC's development. For many years
it sponsored a general course on Arid Land Crops and Technologies,
and in recent years has been funding two more focused activities - a
course/workshop on Trees for Arid Lands, and a course on Cultivation
of the Date Palm. In addition, MASHAV has funded fact-finding and
project development missions for IPALAC members to Africa and
specialized training for IPALAC collaborators in Israel. In line with
IPALAC's emphasis on coalition building, the Government of Finland
and UNESCO have been partners with MASHAV in financing some of these
activities.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Institutes for Applied Research
International Program for Arid Land Crops
Coordinator: Arnie Schlissel
P.O.B. 653
Beersheba 84105
Website: http://www.bgu.ac.il/IAR/IPALAC.htm
E-mail: ipalac@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
Tel: 972-8-6461905
Fax: 972-8-6472984
Next: Extensions and Affiliates: Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev)
|