Arid Lands Newsletter Vol. 25 (Fall/Winter 1987)

Authors University of Arizona. Office of Arid Lands Studies.

Publisher Office of Arid Lands Studies, College of Agriculture, University ofArizona (Tucson, AZ)

Download date 07/04/2021 17:56:17

Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/303424

http://hdl.handle.net/10150/303424

Fall /Winter 1987

Volume 25

The University of Arizona Office of Arid Lands Studies

ImprovingAgriculturalProductionin West Africa

The cover photo shows womenpounding sorghum in aMauritanian village along theSenegal River. Such agriculturalactivities are of interest to theMauritania Agricultural ResearchProject II, a farming systems andextension program working toimprove agriculture in the SenegalRiver Valley. The AGRES II project isfeatured in this issue of the AridLands Newsletter.

ARID LANDSNEWSLETTER

EditorEmily E. Whitehead

DesignPaul M. MirochaJulie C. Tronson

CirculationAnne B. Ross

PublisherOffice of Arid Lands Studies

College of AgricultureUniversity of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona 85719, USA

The Arid Lands Newsletter is publishedsemiannually by the Office of Arid LandsStudies, University of Arizona, and isdistributed worldwide without charge.The purpose of the Newsletter is toinform readers of current activities of theOffice of Arid Lands Studies and topresent articles of interest to arid landsresearchers worldwide.

We'd like to hear from you. Addressletters of comment, requests for futuremailing, and items about projects thatmay be of interest to our readers to:

Editor, Arid Lands NewsletterOffice of Arid Lands StudiesUniversity of Arizona845 North Park AvenueTucson, Arizona 85719, USA

Fall /Winter 1987

Volume 25

CONTENTS3 Improving Agricultural Production in West Africa

University of Arizona and Mauritanian researchers work toimprove agricultural production in drought -strickenMauritania, West Africa.

9 Nutrition in Agriculture

Adding nutrition component to agricultural developmentprojects is vital in establishing research priorities.

10 Aerial Perspective Adds a New Dimension toAgricultural Surveys

Remote sensing techniques add to research team'seffectiveness in surveying Senegal River Basin inMauritania.

12 Second International Conference on DesertDevelopment

13 Consultants Visit Arabian Gulf University

Arabian Gulf University invites consultants from the Officeof Arid Lands Studies to lend their expertise in libraryoperations and remote sensing

14 William G. McGinnies Scholar

Departments

15 Review16 Publications

19 OALS Visitors

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This is the first issue of the AridLands Newsletter since theretirement ofPatricia Paylore,the Newsletter's originator andeditor for 11 years. We at theOffice ofArid Lands Studieswould like to express our sincereappreciation to Pat for the firmfoundation she helped to establishand upon which we will continueto build.

Most of you, the Newsletter'sreaders, know about the PatriciaPaylore Fund. This is anendowment that was establishedin honor ofPat to help supportthe publication of the Arid LandsNewsletter. We would like tothank you for an enthusiasticresponse to the Fund. It is furtherconfirmation that the Newsletteris appreciated throughout theworld.

Perhaps this letter best expressesthe thanks we all would extend toPat.

Dear Patricia:I was delighted to hear of the establishment of an endowment fund inyour honor to support the Arid Lands Newsletter.

It seems a fitting tribute that you should be recognised in such a lastingand very practical way. The Newsletter has been of great value incommunicating with arid land scientists in many parts of the world and Iam sure has given stimulus and focus to a great deal of the valuable worknow being done.

Apart from the Newsletter, your publications stand as an outstandingmonument to your work on arid land environments. But probably evenmore important, though less visible, are the personal friendships andassociations with scientists and institutions that have led to many ideasand a great deal of fruitful collaborations. I am honored to have been partof that wider circle.

I know that retirement in your case represents only a transition in yourworking life. But it is an appropriate time to say congratulations onoutstanding work.

All the very best for the future. I hope to see you again soon.

Kind personal regards,

Abdulbar A. Al -GainVice -President

Meteorology and EnvironmentalProtection AdministrationKingdom of Saudi Arabia

From all of us at the Office of Arid Lands Studies who are honored tohave been your colleagues- Thanks, Pat, and all the very best for thefuture!

Kennith E. FosterDirectorOffice of Arid Lands Studies

Improving Agricultural Productionin West Africa

liir atimata is a woman in her thirties who recently has been widowed.She lives with her four young children, all under the age of 13, andher widowed and sick mother. Her eldest son, who is 12, goes toschool and so cannot help very much with his mother's farming.

Fatimata inherited a field in the dieri (rainfed agriculture area) as well asone in the waalo (recession agriculture area). She does not have the labor tofarm the waalo field so she sharecrops it to a neighbor. The waalo receivedvirtually nothing from its harvest. She planted her dieri field this year inmelons and cowpeas, but the crops received too much water and rotted,leaving nothing to harvest. Fatimata has no rice parcel of her own but workedon two relatives' parcels in return for a portion of the harvest. She helped withtransplanting and harvesting and received from 8 to 12 kilograms of rice aday, although she had to wait until the harvest was complete to receive hershare. She uses this rice both to exchange for other foods and for consumption.

Fatimata has few other sources of income and depends primarily on thehelp of her relatives. She has already sold all her jewelry and other personalitems of value, and owns no livestock. She collects wild foods when she hastime, and works in the village vegetable garden with the help of her children.The family eats only one to two kilograms of cereal a day, and on some dayswhen there is no grain, they "simply sit with crossed arms."

Women and children like Fatimata and her family desperately need food.They lack reliable access to food supplies, and have few options open tothem for generating income in the rural areas.

This is typical of the situation in Mauritania, West Africa. Four- fifths ofthis country receives less than 100 millimeters of rainfall per year. Themajority of its inhabitants are nomadic herders or settled farmers who livewithin a subsistence economy and only occasionally supplement theirincomes by working for wages or selling produce in local markets.Dependent on seasonal floodwaters for most of its agriculture, Mauritaniais a country that could ill afford to be hit by a severe drought, yet in the1970s that is exactly what happened. The nation is still recovering from thesetback.

The drought was devastating to agricultural production in Mauritania.Production of rice and other cereals declined from a total of 77,000 tonsin 1980 -81 to 20,950 tons in 1983 -84. Mauritania currently produces onlyseven percent of its total food consumption.

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In the farming systemsresearch approach

farmers and pastoralistsare viewed as theultimate source of

information.

Atlantic

Ocean

E S T

R I C A

.Senegal

The study area includes fourmajor agroecological zones. In theDelta and Lower Basin, irrigationand some recession agriculture ispracticed; in the Central MiddleValley, recession, irrigated andrainfed agriculture are important;and in the Upper Middle Valleyagriculture is primarily rainfed.

The Mauritania Agricultural Research Project II (AGRES II) is amultidisciplinary farming systems research and extension programwhose goal is to improve the agricultural and farming systems now

operating in the Mauritanian portion of the Senegal River Valley. Acooperative venture between the Mauritanian Centre National de RechercheAgronomique et de Developpement Agricole (CNRADA) and theUniversity of Arizona, the project is funded by the U.S. Agency forInternational Development and is administered by the University's Officeof Arid Lands Studies for the College of Agriculture.

The primary goal of the AGRES II project is to improve the standard ofliving of farm households by: 1) increasing agricultural production,especially of staple foods, and 2) arresting the deterioration of the valleyenvironment.

AGRES II plans to achieve its goals in the following ways: by assistingCNRADA in establishing itself as an effective research institution so that itmay reach its goal of meeting Mauritanian farming needs; by helping todevelop cooperation among Mauritanian agricultural organizations andinstitutions; by introducing farming systems research and extension as amethod to improve Mauritanian agriculture; and by providing trainingopportunities for CNRADA researchers to assure the project's continuationas a Mauritanian program.

AGRES II unites researchers from the UA with counterparts fromCNRADA in Kaédi, Mauritania. The project team in Kaédi consistsof a chief -of -party and an administrative manager, both from the UA.

A project coordinator from CNRADA and two other part -time Mauritanianresearchers complete the team. Specialists with expertise in soil science,fisheries, and other critical areas, supplement project members on a short-term basis. The project is administered by researchers from the UA's Officeof Arid Lands Studies who provide logistical and fiscal support for the Kaéditeam.

CNRADA, an autonomous research organization within the Ministry ofRural Development, is responsible for overseeing all agricultural research inMauritania. The eight divisions of the organization focus on grain crops,irrigated rice, vegetables and fruits, soils, pre- extension, crop protection,agro- climatology and forage. CNRADA has obtained promising results withexperiments on irrigated rice, irrigated vegetables and fruit trees.

Some of the technologies developed by CNRADA are ready for on -farmtesting. However, budgetary constraints and weak linkages between researchand extension have limited testing and transfer of technology. This issue willreceive much more emphasis from AGRES II. Another major objective ofthe AGRES II project is to strengthen research -extension linkages. Towardthis end, regional workshops focusing on farming systems /extension havebeen instituted. And to assure permanent technical competence, fiveresearchers from CNRADA are pursuing degrees at the UA in agriculture.

GRES II is designed as a farming systems project. In the farmingsystems research approach farmers and pastoralists are viewed as theultimate source of information. Information provided by the

agriculturalists themselves is vital in directing the work of researchers whoseobjective is to relate their work more precisely to the actual problems andresources of the farmers. This avoids the problem of disconnectednessbetween agricultural research and on-farm needs.

In addition to establishing contacts with farmers, the farming systemsapproach helps foster connections among organizations involved indevelopment work. Organizations involved in the AGRES II project includethe Mauritanian Ministry of Rural Development, the Health Ministry,SONADER, the U.S. Peace Corps, and the University of Leiden in theNetherlands.

Prior to conducting their surveys with farmers, researchers conducted anaerial survey of the region. (See related article, page 10.) By gathering datafrom the air, they were able to determine the best locations in which tointerview farmers. Population density, relative village wealth, types of cropsgrown and other valuable data all were gleaned from the preliminary aerialsurvey.

Once appropriate locations were determined, teams of physical/biological scientists and social scientists conducted extensive surveys.Interviews were conducted in the fields away from the village. Teammembers collected data in 34 villages on general village characteristics,

The Mauritanian portionSenegal River Basin has beenparticularly hard bit by theSahel/an drought. This regionforms the study area for theAGRES fi project.

e

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Unless steps are taken tolessen environmental

degradation, cropproduction

improvements will nothave much long-term

impact

cropping patterns, animal husbandry, off -farm employment and marketing.In addition, the survey focused on consumption patterns. (See relatedarticle, page 9.)

Surveys reveal the following general characteristics of farming systemsalong the river:

Four cropping systems exist in the Senegal River Basin: traditional rainfedagriculture, traditional recession agriculture, small irrigated perimeters andlarge irrigated perimeters.

Livestock rearing remains an important activity carried out by all ethnicgroups along the river.

Complementary and competitive relationships exist between pastoralgroups and sedentary farmers.

Charcoal production is a short -term economic alternative for farmers whoneed to supplement their food supplies and income.

Off -farm income -generating activities are pursued by many farmers todiversify their income sources (e.g., farm labor, milk and product sales,herding, construction work, mill operation).

Young men permanently migrate from villages and send remittancesback to their families.

Many farmers migrate seasonally to urban areas, agriculturalsettlements, or to Senegal to supplement their income.

Farmers combine various economic strategies to meet their families' basicneeds. They may be involved in rainfed agriculture, recession agriculture,and irrigated agriculture at the same time. They may also pursue othereconomic activities to supplement their income and reduce theirvulnerability to crop failures. If improvements are to be made in existingsystems, it is essential to understand each of the components in the farmingsystem and how they interrelate.

Avariety of factors limit agricultural production in the Senegal RiverValley. The environment is degrading rapidly; farmers lack access toland, to transport, and to appropriate technology; the market

infrastructure is inadequate; extension is ineffective; animals are destroyingcrops; young men are migrating at a rapid rate; and there is potentialcompetition among agricultural activities and some cultural traditions.

In response to these constraints, farmers have adopted compensatorystrategies which, in some cases, may exacerbate the problems. The case ofenvironmental degradation provides a good example of adaptation. Lack ofavailable resources has caused some farmers to turn to wood cutting andcharcoal production which provides money to meet immediate food needs.This, unfortunately, contributes to deforestation and, in the long run,accelerates the process of degradation.

Unless steps are taken to lessen environmental degradation, cropproduction improvements will not have much long -term impact. Onerecommendation involves integrating tree cultivation more effectively intoagricultural production. Suitable trees could be planted as shelterbelts toreduce wind erosion and sand encroachment. These trees could also providefirewood, building materials and fodder. Trees that might be suitable aremesquite (Prosopis spp.) or any of a number of Acacias.

As the above example illustrates, an emphasis on long-term objectives isessential if agricultural production is to be improved in the Senegal RiverValley.

Researchers have identified a number of areas that warrant furtherinvestigation. Among these are: irrigated agriculture, cultivation ofgrain crops and vegetable crops, crop protection, livestock

production, soil analysis, climatological patterns, and pre-extension andfarming systems activities.

Research options include :

comparing the performance of rice, maize and corn on various soil types

investigating alternative crops that use less water

investigating the potential of sesame as an oil seed crop

developing vegetable varieties adapted to different seasons and possessingvarying maturation periods

improving cultivation through better water management, culturalpractices and input use

improving vegetable varieties

improving transport, storage and preservation of vegetables

developing pest-resistant varieties

introducing cropping strategies that minimize damage by birds

incorporating forage crops more directly into cropping systems

improving livestock production

producing accurate soil maps

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developing land use assessment methodologies for determiningappropriate use of land resources

analyzing climatological, environmental and hydrological patterns

A key to the viability of research in many of these areas is conducting on-farm trials to test technologies and new cultivation techniques under actualconditions.

The goal of the AGRES II project is to improve the quality of life forMauritanian farm households. To achieve this goal, developmentspecialists are implementing changes that regional institutions will be

able to sustain. Their work includes institutionalizing effective researchmethodologies, improving research -extension links, enhancing CNRADA'sadministrative effectiveness, and maximizing training opportunities forMauritanian researchers and administrators.

Sources:

1. Frankenberger, T.R., M.B. Lynham, H. N'Gaide, S. Fall, M.P. N'Daiyeand B. Perquin. 1986. Farming Systems Along the Senegal River Valley: ADry Season Reconnaissance Survey in Guidimaka, Gorgol, Brakna, andTrarza Regions. Report No. 1. Mauritania Agricultural Research Project II.Office of Arid Lands Studies, University of Arizona, Tucson.

2. Stone, M.P., B. Gaye and T.R. Frankenberger. 1986. Food Consumptionin the Senegal River Valley: A Rainy Season Farming Systems Reconnais-sance Survey in the Middle Valley Between Podor and Matam, Senegal.Senegal Agricultural Research Project II. Office of Arid Lands Studies,University of Arizona, Tucson.

3. N'Gaide, H., M.B. Lynham and T.R. Frankenberger. 1986. FarmingSystems Along the Senegal River Valley: Agricultural Research Alterna-tives. Report No. 2. Mauritania Agricultural Research Project. Office ofArid Lands Studies, University of Arizona, Tucson.

To obtain further information on the Mauritania Agricultural ResearchProject II contact: Michael E. Norvelle, Project Director, AGRES II Project,Office of Arid Lands Studies, College of Agriculture, University of Arizona,845 North Park Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85719, USA .

SISTER CITIES

Nouakchott, Mauritania, and Tucson, Arizona -what do these two citieshave in common? Well, for one, they are newly established Sister Citiesunder a program founded to initiate personal relations between people indifferent countries. The philosophy of the program is that once peoplehave established contact with one another, then economic, technologicaland cultural exchange can occur and each community can benefit.Nouakchott is the capital of Mauritania. With a population of 600,000,and combatting conditions imposed by the drought of 1973, Nouakchottis working to surmount some of the same obstacles as Tucson. Both citiesare faced with diminishing groundwater supplies, transportation problemsand urban sprawl. Hopefully the exchange between the two cities willprovide a framework for solutions to some of their shared problems.

Nutrition in Agriculture

Foo(1 preferences play animportant role in farmersacceptance of new and

improved cultivars. To betterunderstand these preferencesalong with the farmers currentcropping strategies, researchersinterviewed farmers in Mauritaniaand Senegal for the MauritaniaAgricultural Research Project II(ACRES II).

In conjunction with the farmingsystems reconnaissance survey, afood consumption survey wasconducted in 27 Mauritanianvillages in February 1986. Bothsurveys provided information forestablishing research priorities forfarming systems in the SenegalRiver Valley.

Food preference is affected by avariety of factors includingsupply, cost, preparation time,variety of dishes and croppingstrategy. Supply involves not onlywhat the farmers grow, but alsothe extent of imports fromoutside the region and theiravailability for purchase. Itappears that sometimes the lessavailable a foodstuff is, the moreit is preferred. Millet, forexample, is commonly preferred,although it is the grain in scarcestsupply.

One of the primary goals offarmers in this region is meetingfamily consumption needs; foodconsumption information istherefore considered to be ofprimary importance in anyproposed intervention.

Incorporating nutritionalconcerns into agricultural

development projects is the focusof a cooperative agreementrecently established between theUniversity of Arizona and theUniversity of Kentucky with theNutrition Economics Group,Office of InternationalCooperation and Development,U.S. Department of Agriculture.

the food consumption needs ofpeople in the project area.Development projects typicallyemphasize production ofagricultural products with little orno idea of local food consumptionhabits and needs. There is acurrent need for research andprovision of methods for

Food consumption surveys include information on food preferences,preparation techniques, purchases; prices, and specialty foods forchildbearing 1,00111en and their infants.

The objectives of the agreementare: 1) to establish a cooperativeframework for technical andresearch support of a program forapplied and technical assistancedesigned to assist developingcountries improve the foodconsequences of their agriculturalprojects and 2) to increase thecapabilities of U.S. educationalinstitutions to develop or increaseexpertise in this field.

Agricultural developmentprojects frequently fail to meet

incorporating nutrition and foodconsumption needs in theseprojects. The agreement is a firststep toward that end.

To learn more aboutincorporating nutritional concernsinto agricultural developmentprojects contact: Timothy R.Frankenberger, Office of AridLands Studies, College ofAgriculture, Univeristy ofArizona, 845 North Park Avenue,Tucson, Arizona 85719, USA .

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Aerial Perspective Adds a NewDimension to Agricultural Surveys

Remote sensing, a method to study landformsfrom images gathered by aircraft or satellite,provides a look from above. And by giving a

different view of the land, remote sensing is a usefultool for University of Arizona and Mauritanianresearchers who are working together to studyMauritanian farming practices.

The researchers are involved in the MauritanianAgricultural Research Project II (AGRES II). Afarming systems research effort, AGRES II has beencollecting extensive information about Mauritanianagricultural production, including information aboutfarm household activities, water sources, soil condi-tions, transportation and marketing. Remote sensinghelps researchers collect this information.

"Remote sensing has been used mostly for what wecall `wall -to -wall' surveys where total satellite coverageof a large area is achieved and a map is produced," saysCharles F. Hutchinson, Director of the Arizona RemoteSensing Center (ARSC) in the UA's Office of AridLands Studies. However, "what we are interested indoing in Mauritania is gathering very detailed informa-tion about what is going on on the ground at selectedspots along the river."

A technique new to farming systems research,remote sensing adds information to what the researchteam collects through surveys, interviews with farmers,and observations of agricultural practices. Remotesensing information also helps researchers plan theirground reconnaissance strategy and documentsconditions at the inception of the project to measurefuture progress.

"We are trying to get information that will comple-ment or supplement or enhance the kinds of informa-tion they get on the ground," says Hutchinson.

Through remote sensing, for example, the density ofplants within any field or sample of fields can bedetermined, Hutchinson says. "You can measure plantdensity on the ground, but it would take you quite along period of time to do that in a village, and we cando it with just two or three photographs."

Also the relative wealth of a village can be estimatedthrough remote sensing because of the many detailsthat are revealed. "You can't just look at one indicatorto determine if a village is well -off or not," Hutchinson

says. "We have to look at a number of things. Forexample, we found that the percentage of roofs withmetal or tile is a good indicator of village wealth.

Another seems to be garden area. It seems thatvillages that are better off have more areas planted ingardens. If we find both indicators in one village, we canbe reasonably sure that the village is well- off."

Information acquired by remote sensing can some-times be interpreted by researchers to help plan thekind of assistance to provide to Mauritanian farmers.A study of plant density provided such clues.

By demonstrating the decrease in plant density asdistances increase from the river, it was shown thatfarmers understood the relationship between soiltexture and its water holding capacity, Hutchinsonsays. Further, this finding indicates that farmersunderstand that plants have different waterrequirements.

Researchers now feel confident that they can suggesta new crop to farmers, and they will understand that itswater requirement and its growth per unit area mayvary from what they currently grow. "Prior to thisthere was some concern that farmers might be toobound by tradition to change the ways they plant,"Hutchinson says.

Remote sensing is an eye in the sky and, along withdocumenting the labors and projects of farmers, it hasbrought to light illegal activities occurring in forestreserves.

Although forest reserves are off limits to woodcutters, remote sensing pictures show that trespassersare, in fact, cutting wood in the remote inner sectionsof the reserves that are difficult to patrol. "In ourphotographs you can see that there are large charcoalpits in the middle of those areas," Hutchinson says."Remote sensing may prove to be a useful tool tomonitor that kind of activity."

Remote sensing for AGRES II is done in two phases.Oblique video imagery is carried out first to get a broadreconnaissance view of the land. The oblique videoimagery is then examined by the research team whichselects villages to be photographed more closely duringfuture flights.

A Piper aircraft was used for the Mauritanianphotographic missions. The rear cargo door was

Remote sensingprovides ormation about villages andtheir agriculture that cannot be easily acquired on theground. Combining 35-mm aerial photography u,ith

removed and a camera mount fixed to the floor to allowa camera to extend out the open door. A color videocamera and 35-mm cameras were used.

ARSC's methods and activities in Mauritania reflecta primary concern of its applied research programwhich is the development of low-cost remote sensingsystems, such as 35-mm photography and video. TheUnited States Department of Agriculture has sup-ported ARSC's research in this area.

Prior to the Mauritaniain project, ARSC conductedmapping projects in the Grand Canyon and Organ Pipe

obliqt te and l'ertical video proved to be an effective andleve11511v alternative to conventional aerial photog-

raphy and satellite data.

National Monument in Arizona. The center was alsoinvolved in a project in Senegal.

Further information on OALS remote sensing capabil-ities can be obtained by contacting Charles F. Hutchin-son, Director, Arizona Remote Sensing Center, Officeof Arid Lands Studies, College of Agriculture,University of Arizona, 845 North Park Avenue,Tucson, Arizona 85719, USA.

Joe Gelt

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Second International Conferenceon Desert Development

Cairo, Egypt, was the setting for the SecondInternational Conference on Desert Develop-ment January 25 -31, 1987. The Desert Develop-

ment Center of the American University in Cairo andthe International Center for Arid and Semi -Arid LandStudies at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas,sponsored the conference.

Attending the conference were specialists in desertagriculture, renewable energy, community develop-ment and economics.

Following are some of the recommendations of theadvisory committee, the scientific program committeeand session chairpersons.

Continue the impetus gained during the presentconference and convene regular meetings among aridlands scientists.

Recommend establishment of an organizing groupthat will plan the convening of the next conferencein two or three years. Countries proposed to hostthat conference include China, Australia, India andPakistan.

Strongly encourage greater active international andregional cooperation in arid land and desert develop-ment among both organizations and individuals.

Believe that assessment of desert natural resourcesand evaluation of existing ecosystems should be thebasis for development.

Emphasize need for sustainable development and theavoidance of land degradation.

Strongly support an integrated approach to arid anddesert land development and the adoption ofappropriate short -term and long -term strategies.

An International Committee for Arid Land Devel-opment was organized at the conference and approvedby vote at the closing plenary session. Committeemembers are:

Adli Bishay, American University in Cairo (Chairman)

Harold Dregne, Texas Tech University (Co- chairman)

Adel El- Beltagy, Minister of Agriculture of Egypt(Secretary General)

Idris Traylor, Texas Tech University

Jimmye Hillman, University of Arizona

Kennith Foster, University of Arizona

Gerald Thomas, New Mexico State University

M. El- Kassas, Cairo University

Gerald Wickens, Kew Gardens, England

Di Xinmin, Institute of Desert Research, People'sRepublic of China

Mulugetta Mekuria, Institute of Agricultural Research,Ethiopia

Alberto Rodrigues, Ministry of Agriculture, Mexico

Benjamin Figueroa, University of Chapingo, Sandoval,Mexico

M.I. Sheikh, Forest Institute, Pakistan

David Nygaard, Winrock International

Consultants VisitArabian Gulf University

The Arabian Gulf University(AGU) was established in1980. A creation of seven

Gulf States -Bahrain, Iraq,Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, SaudiArabia and the United ArabEmirates -AGU is located inBahrain and serves all memberstates.

AGU is intended to serve as acenter for graduate training.Ultimately, it is envisioned that70 percent of AGU students willbe enrolled in various graduateprograms. There are now threecolleges that comprise AGU:Medicine, Education and AppliedSciences. The College of Medicinebegan operation in 1984 andcurrently has 194 students. TheColleges of Education andApplied Sciences were establishedin 1986. The College of AppliedSciences contains theDepartments of BiologicalSciences, Physical Sciences, andSocial and Economic Sciences.

The principal programadministered by the College ofApplied Sciences is theinterdisciplinary Desert and AridZone Sciences (DAZS) program.There are now six studentsenrolled in the program. Inaddition to departments, a remotesensing center has been proposedthat would train students inremote sensing, photogrammetryand cartography and providesupport to AGU researchactivities.

All AGU programs are nowhoused in a modern facility atSulmaniya Campus in Manama. Inlate 1987, the main campus will

open at Sukhrir, 25 kilometerssouth of Manama, and then onlythe Medical College will remain atthe Sulmaniya Campus inManama.

In February 1986, AGUconvened a meeting ofinternational experts to assist inthe development of the DAZSprogram curriculum. TheUniversity of Arizona (UA) AridLands Resource Sciences (ALRS)program was represented byMichael Bonine of theDepartment of Oriental Studiesand the Department of Geographyand Regional Development.

visit, Professor El- Aaghib andHutchinson outlined a frameworkfor cooperation between AGUand the UA.

Building on this agreement,Charles Hutchinson and BarbaraHutchinson, Manager of the AridLands Information Center at theOffice of Arid Lands Studies,were invited to AGU for amonth -long consultancy in thespring of 1987.

During their stay, CharlesHutchinson presented three seriesof lectures on: 1) arid landsresearch at the UA; 2) how toprepare a master's thesis; and 3)

Faculty members of the College of Applied Sciences, Arabian GulfUniversity and participants in the training course on `AssessingInternational Information Sources."

In April 1986, CharlesHutchinson, from the Universityof Arizona's Office of Arid LandsStudies, visited AGU as Directorof the Arizona Remote SensingCenter and Chairman of theALRS committee. Hosting thevisit was Professor Ahmad A. El-Aaghib, now Dean of the Collegeof Applied Sciences. During this

remote sensing (four -dayworkshop). The latter series oflectures included a review ofremote sensing fundamentals,principles and techniques of imageinterpretation and digital imageprocessing.

In addition, to providebackground information for areport on remote sensing at AGU,

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Charles Hutchinson met withvarious AGU faculty members,and staff members of the Ministryof Foreign Affairs, the Ministry ofHousing and the United NationsDevelopment Programmeregarding the upcoming regionalprogram in remote sensing. Thefinal report includedrecommendations for equipment,staffing and a course curriculumoutline.

Barbara Hutchinson presented afive -day training course onaccessing internationalinformation sources to 24participants from variousorganizations and universitylibraries in the Gulf. Representedwere the countries of Bahrain,Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and SaudiArabia. Included in the workshopseries was a discussion onaccessing computerized databases,strategies and techniques forperforming computer searchesand an introduction to the majorscientific databases availablethrough the DIALOGinformation retrieval system.

In addition to the workshop,Barbara Hutchinson evaluated theCollege of Sciences Library,focusing on the status of theexisting facility, collection andoperating procedures and policies.The evaluation and subsequentreport also reviewed plans andmade recommendations for theCollege of Medical Sciences andMain Campus libraries.

It is hoped that the ties betweenAGU and UA can be strengthenedin the future through joint researchprojects and faculty exchange .

William G. McGinnies Scholar

In 1985, the Office of AridLands Studies established ascholarship to honor William

G. McGinnies, the founder andDirector Emeritus of the office.The scholarship is awardedannually to an outstandinggraduate student whose workfocuses on arid lands and isconsistent with the goals of theCarnegie Desert BotanicalLaboratory.

perform their functions under theextraordinary conditions existingin world deserts.

The 1986 scholarship wasawarded to James Malusa who is adoctoral candidate in theDepartment of Ecology andEvolutionary Biology at theUniversity of Arizona. He isworking on the origin andmigration of three species ofpiñon pine in the Southwest.

James Malusa (second from left), recipient of the 1986William G. McGinnies scholarship, with his parents Pat (left) andRudy Malusa (center), William G. McGinnies (second from right)and Charles Hutchinson.

The goals of the laboratory areto study the life history of plantsunder desert conditions withspecial reference to absorption,storage and transpiration of water,temperature inversions and soilmoisture relationships, runoff -percolation, rainfall -soil moisture;and to ascertain how plants

Ultimately, this work will help usto better understand how thepines have evolved to deal withdrought.

Malusa has published severalprofessional papers and willundoubtedly continue tocontribute to our understandingof arid lands.

REVIEW

Gathering the Desert1985. By Gary Nabhan.Illustrated by Paul Mirocha.University of Arizona Press,Tucson, Arizona.

VIany books have beenwritten about theSonoran Desert, but none

explore the subtleties of itscomplex, intertwiningrelationships as this one does.Gary Nabhan has gleanedfascinating details of the life cyclesand ethnobotany of twelve nativeSonoran Desert plants from avariety of sources, and hasdistilled their essence into thisfine book. Through Nabhan'sskillful prose we see anew themany faceted interactions ofplants, animals, man and climate,in an unusual combination ofscience and mysticism.

We hope that these sketches willencourage arid -land dwellers to feel moreat home with the desert's bounty, arichness that cannot be understoodsimply in utilitarian terms. Even if youwere never to eat a carob -like mesquitepod, or treat a cold with creosote -leaf tea,these plants have something to offer. Itmay be just the music heard whenstanding beneath a spring floweringmesquite canopy, alive with five thousandsolitary bees, or the smell of a creosotebush releasing fifty volatile oils to theozone- charged air during a summer storm.

Paul Mirocha's expressivedrawings, a union of botany andart, enhance the ideas of time andplace, people and plants, that theauthor brings to us. More than

scientific illustrations, they probethe mystery of life's continuingregeneration.

The book is divided into fourmajor sections, corresponding tothe seasons of the year. Threeplants are intimately described foreach season in articles of 10 to 15pages. These articles discuss theplant and its life cycle, as well asits relationship with nativepeoples, and in some cases,

"The Milky Way is said to be thewhite bean. He lives clear across thesky. Beans grow in abundance andwe see them scattered across thesky"

. . so that is why the white teparybean is the child of the DesertPeople. It was born here andendures dryness. When it doesn'train enough, the white bean stillcomes up. The Desert People willalways eat it and live here."

current residents of theSouthwest. Each article isaccompanied by a bibliographicessay. These annotatedbibliographies provide a brief,lively, discussion of informationsources, with a special designationfor items of interest to the layperson.

Nabhan's approach is direct.His research is not conducted inwalled laboratories, but in theexpanse of rocky hills, lava fieldsand sandy bottomlands. Whetherseeking mescal stills or caches ofancient seed his delight andenthusiasm is strong andcontagious. Only the most blaséof readers could resist the pull ofthese adventures.

For all its prickly harshness, adesert is fragile and its thin veneerof life is precious. The aridregions of the world are underincreasing pressure as populationgrowth places new demands ontheir limited resources.Continuing appreciation andunderstanding of the ecology ofarid lands is essential if we are tolive in them harmoniously. Thisbook brings together the basicsurvival needs of plant and man,and in doing so, illuminates thewonderfulness of the SonoranDesert.

Susan Husband

Gathering the Desert is available for US$14.95, soft - cover, from the University ofArizona Press, 1615 East SpeedwayBoulevard, Tucson, Arizona 85719, USA.

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PUBLICATIONS

Tree Plantingin Semi -Arid Regions.Proceedings of a Symposium onEstablishment and Productivity ofTree Plantings in Semi AridRegions, Texas A & I University,Kingsville, Texas, April 19 -May 2,1985. 1986. Edited by P. Felker,Texas A & I University. ElsevierScience Publishers. Amsterdam,The Netherlands. 444 pages,US $10900.

This symposium attractedparticipants from 20 countries,including Latin America, TheCaribbean, French and Englishspeaking Africa, Israel, India andAustralia. Presented in thisvolume are papers onreforestation, fuelwoodproduction, soil management andlivestock production on thesemiarid and arid lands.

Forage and Fuel Productionfrom Salt Affected Wasteland.Proceedings of a Seminar held atCunderdin, Western Australia,19 -27 May, 1984. 1986. Edited byE.G. Barrett - Lennard, C. VMalcolm, W.R. Stern and S.MWilkins. Elsevier SciencePublishers, Amsterdam, TheNetherlands. 460 pages, US $74.00.

Growing highly salt- tolerantplants under natural rainfall onsalt -affected soils was the topic ofthis research and developmentconference that was attended byscientists from 20 countries. Thepapers included in theproceedings provide an

information base for newinitiatives in this little- researchedarea. Included in the proceedingsare country reports thatgraphically illustrate the extentand nature of the salinity problemand the lack of knowledgeconcerning potential productivityof salt -affected land. It is clearthat salt -affected land need not beregarded as wasteland; thechallenge to make better use ofthis resource now needs to begrasped.

Let there be forest.1986. Arnold and ConnieKrochmal.Pudoc, Wageningen, Netherlands.96 pages, US $1250.

Policy makers, developmentplanners and students areacquainted with the manyimportant functions of treeplantations and the pressing needto increase the rate of treeplanting. Subjects are treated in apopular and instructive manner tostimulate the reader to supportefforts to reforest our globe.

The AgriculturalDilemma in Africa.Papers of the 1985 ODA NaturalResources Advisers' Conference.1986 Overseas DevelopmentAdministration, London, England.Free -of- charge.

In July 1985, the ODA NaturalResources Advisers held an in-house conference at Wye College.Attending the conference were

advisory groups andadministrative staff within ODAand its scientific units andprofessionals from non-governmental organizations,consultancy firms, university andresearch institutes and otherdonor agencies. This publicationdiscusses ways to improveAfrica's agricultural performanceand to ensure higher levels offood security.

Guayule: A NaturalRubber Source.Proceedings of the FourthInternational Conference onGuayule Research andDevelopment, October 16 -19,1985, Tucson, Arizona. 1986Edited by D.D. Fangmeier andS.M. Alcorn. Guayule RubberSociety. 443 pages, US $40.00.

This volume contains paperspresented at the FourthInternational Conference onGuayule Research andDevelopment which was held inTucson, Arizona, in October1985. Researchers explored awide range of topics from guayuleestablishment to its processingand utilization. Their workadvanced the understanding ofguayule as a potential,commercially -viable crop.

The proceedings is availablefrom: Publications, Office of AridLands Studies, University ofArizona, 845 North Park Avenue,Tucson, Arizona 85719, USA.(Price includes postage andhandling; international orders add$5.00 for postage and handling.)

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Land Use Policy.Special Issue: Land Use inAfrica. Volume 3, Number 4.October 1986. Guest editors: AsitK. Biswas and L.A Odero- Ogwel.Butterworth Scientific Ltd, Surrey,England.

Population growth in Africa isthe highest in the world and isaccelerating.In nearly all African countries50 % -75% of the populationsubsist in absolute poverty.The number of severely hungryand malnourished people isestimated to have increasedfrom close to 80 million in theearly 1970s to over 100 millionby 1984. By 1979 -81, on aglobal basis, the percentage ofpopulation undernourished washighest in Africa.

So states Asit K. Biswas in hisarticle on Land Use in Africa.This special issue of Land UsePolicy focuses on problems ofland use in Africa and emphasizesthe need for appropriate policiesto deal with these problems.Subjects examined include landuse policies and farming systems,desertification, irrigation, climate,agricultural projects, apartheid,and innovative uses of land.

Arid Lands:Today and Tomorrow

Proceedings of an international

Research and Development Conference

October 20 -25, 1985Tucson, Arizona USA

The international conference, "Arid Lands: Today andTomorrow," was held in Tucson, Arizona, in October1985, commemorating the 25th anniversary ofUNESCO's Arid Lands Major Project. More than 400registrants from 40 countries attended the conference.

Included in this volume are papers by more than 125arid lands scientists covering a broad range of topics oncritical arid lands issues. Chapters include:

animal resources

biosphere reserves

climate

crop physiologyand agronomy

culture anddemography

desert ecology

desert ripariansystems andreclamation

desertification

ecology ofnomadic pastoralists

economic development

general geography

halophytes

irrigation andwater management

land intensification

new crops

range management

reclamation

small -scalewater management

soils

underutilized plants

urban environments

water policy

Published by Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado, andBelhaven Press, London, England, in cooperation withthe Office of Arid Lands Studies, University ofArizona, Arid Lands: Today and Tomorrow may bepurchased for US $85.00 from Westview Press,Central Avenue, Boulder, Colorado 80301, USA.

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18

Arid LandsResearch Institutions:A World Directory

A third revised edition of AridLands Research Institutions: AWorld Directory, edited by B.S.Hutchinson and R.G. Varady, willbe published in early 1988 by theOffice of Arid Lands Studies.First published in 1967 and againin 1977, this work was originallybased on UNESCO's 1953Directory of Institutions Engagedin Arid Zone Research. Each of theeditions contributed to the call ofUNESCO's Advisory Committeeon Arid Zone Research "topromote and stimulate research inthe various scientific disciplineswhich have a bearing uponproblems of arid regions."

1953, numerousand development organizationshave formed around the world toaddress the issues faced bycountries in dry regions.Communication between theseorganizations permits the freeexchange of information andassures long -term progress towardmutual goals. During the pasttwenty years the directory hasbeen an invaluable tool forpromoting organizational contactsand linkages. The new volume willinclude nearly twice as manyentries as did the previous edition,and coverage has expanded toinclude virtually twice as manycountries.

Copies of the directory will sellfor US $20.00 and may bepurchased from: Publications,Office of Arid Lands Studies,College of Agriculture, TheUniversity of Arizona, 845 NorthPark Avenue, Tucson, Arizona85719, USA.

Classification,Properties and

Management ofAridisols

This slide -tape presentationcontains 96 color slides depictingthe classification, characterizationand utilization of arid soils.Designed to be used as a teachingaid the presentation isaccompanied by a program guideand 31- minute cassette narrative.

Topics include:

Global importanceand extent of Aridisols

Introduction toSoil Taxonomy

The aridic soilmoisture regime

Produced by the University ofArizona and the Soil ManagementSupport Services, U.S. Agencyfor International Development,the program is available for US$90.00. To purchase the program,or to obtain further information,contact:

Chris MackOffice of Arid Lands StudiesUniversity of Arizona845 North Park AvenueTucson, Arizona 85719 USA(602) 621 -7896

(Orders should be accompaniedby a check or money order for US$90.00 made payable to theUniversity of Arizona.)

Diagnosticsoil horizons

AridisolGreat Groups

Management of Aridisolsfor agriculture

OALS VISITORS

In conjunction with theMauritania AgriculturalResearch Project II, Alex

Cunard of the Organisation pourla Mise en Valeur du FleuveSenegal (OMVS) traveled fromSenegal to Tucson to visit theOffice of Arid Lands Studies.

OMVS is overseeing thedevelopment of the Senegal Riverin Mauritania, Senegal and Mali.As the Agricultural ResearchPlanner for OMVS in theDivision of Integrated Research,Cunard coordinated research onthe Senegal River among the threeorganizations involved in theeffort: the National AgriculturalResearch Institute for Senegal(ISRA), the West African RiceResearch DevelopmentAssociation (WARDA), and the

Societe Agricole EconomicDevelopment (SARD). Part of hiswork involved providinginformation to researchers inthese organizations -his effortsincluded institutionalizing the

process by providingcomputerized data. OMVS isdeveloping a database of researchthat will be housed on an IBM ATat its documentation center in St.Louis. The initial database will becomprised of 70,000 documentsnow on microfiche. Much of thedata has very practicalapplications. For example,researchers have identified afungus that attacks nutgrass in ricefields but does not harm rice-this information will be madeavailable to farmers.

Cunard has a long history ofinternational involvement. He hasworked as a state agronomist inMalaysia, as the science directorfor Rodale Press, and as a researchagronomist in Niger. He has alsoworked in the Central AfricanRepublic and Tanzania. Cunard iscurrently in Mali with the U.S.AID Farming Systems Researchand Extension Support Project.

atthias Bartels, whoworks for the GermanAgency of Technical

Cooperation in Frankfurt, visitedthe Office of Arid Lands Studiesin July and August of 1987.Bartels came to Tucson to learnmore about the work that theUniversity of Arizona isconducting in arid lands. He willsoon be leaving for Egypt toconduct an environmentalmanagement project there on thenorthwest coast.

Bartels will take with himinformation that will help with hisupcoming project involving

conservation and development ofagricultural resources on thenorthwestern coast of Egypt. Thisis a long -term rural developmentproject administered by theAgency for TechnicalCooperation and its Egyptiancounterpart in the project, theEgyptian Environmental AffairsAgency. The project will supportthe Bedouins in the establishmentof appropriate farming systems.

The Bedouins have recentlybecome a more settled people.Faced with problems such asovergrazing, erosion and soilsalinity, the Bedouins are in needof learning more efficient ways touse water for permanent plantproduction and ways to improvegrazing and livestock productionin an environment with marginalresources and a fragile ecosystem.

Bartels and other projectmembers will assist the Bedouinsin making optimal use of naturalresources.

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Contributors to the Patricia Paylore Fundfor the Arid Lands Newsletter

Abdulbar A. Al -GainLouftos BoulosRobert W. BurbridgeHerbert E. CarterJames ChanatryCommonwealth War Graves CommissionHarold E. DregneRoman FodchukPierpaola FaggiKennith E. FosterGideon GolanyAlfonso GonzalezThe Hebrew University of JerusalemCharles and Barbara HutchinsonThomas JansenRichard JefferyDouglas JohnsonP. Johnson -MarshallDorothy V. KuhnCharles McClellanBruce MillerWilliam Howard O'Brien CompanyLouis PolskinP.L. QuerioRoss R. RiceJack O'DeaSave the ChildrenThe South London Botanical InstituteWalter StonemanMark TomassoniMorris K. UdallRobert G. VaradyGrant Fontain WaltonEmmet L. Wemple and AssociatesJohn C. ZiebarthGabriel and Frances Zinsli

If you would like to make a contribution to the fund, please make yourtax -deductible check payable to the University of Arizona Foundationand request that it be deposited in the Patricia Paylore Fund for the AridLands Newsletter. Contributions should be sent to: Mr. Julius Humphrey,The University of Arizona Foundation, 1027 East Second Street, Tucson,Arizona 85721, USA

20

The University of Arizona is an Equal EmploymentOpportunity /Affirmative Action Employer.

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