In arid and semi-arid areas, a shortage of soil moisture limits rainfed crop growth and consequently reduces crop yield. By adding a small amount of water, supplemental irrigation can boost crop yields dramatically. The objective of this study was to identify suitable land for supplemental irrigation in a moisture deficit area in the semi-arid Ethiopian highlands using GIS-based multi-criteria evaluation. Land suitability and water availability factors were used for the analysis.

The primary goal of this study was to compare the multiplication rates of yam varieties propagated through organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis (SE). Callus was induced from axillary bud explants of three genotypes of Dioscorea rotundata (Asiedu, Ekiti2a, and Kpamyo) and two genotypes of Dioscorea alata (Swaswa and TDa2014) cultured in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 9.1 µM 2,4-dichlorophenoxylacetic acid and 5.4 µM naphthaleneacetic acid. Plantlets were regenerated in MS containing 4.4 µM benzylaminopurine and 34 µM uniconazole-P through SE.

Food, land, and water systems face daunting challenges in the future, and the body of research exploring these challenges is growing rapidly. This note is part of a series developed by the CGIAR Foresight Initiative to summarize what we know today about the future of various aspects of food systems. The goal of these notes is to serve as a quick reference, point to further information, and help guide future research and decisions.
Key messages

This one-pager provides details on the LAND-at-scale project in Egypt. This project is implemented by GIZ Egypt, and financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via the Netherlands Enterprise & Development Agency (RVO). 

Les grandes exploitations agricoles créées dans le cadre de la loi de mise en valeur agricole de 1983 dans le Sahara algérien étaient vouées à une production céréalière sous pivot. L’objectif était de développer économiquement des régions sahariennes pour partie marginalisées, ainsi que de réduire la dépendance chronique en céréales du pays. L’État a considérablement investi pour équiper ces exploitations agricoles dans le cadre d’un vaste plan de développement rural. Mais trente ans après la parution de la loi, les réalisations demeurent limitées au regard des objectifs initiaux.