23-27 September 2013 WLI Regional Knowledge Exchange Workshop on Decision-support Tools and Models Djerba, Tunisia Irrigation Systems

Last year: In relation to Irrigation Systems Iraq Irrigation, different techniques of irrigation, (supplementary irrigation and drip irrigation) wheat, maize, tomato, cauliflower, Bersim, cucumber Determine water productivity Drip irrigation vs surface irrigation Subsurface and drip irrigation vs traditional irrigation - flooding

Abyan Delta They flood twice by year: winter and summer Social and political problems After problems, characterization of the sites and socioeconomic Landuse planning Transfer of techniques for the research station of Delta Abian Output for decision makers regarding plan of agricultural use depend on flood and groundwater quality On irrigation: Supplementary irrigation after flooding, use one irrigation supplementary to increase yield: from water wells, Pipe irrigation: surface irrigation Cotton is the main crop; and Sesame, Banana, papaya Last year: In relation to Irrigation Systems Yemen

Irrigation water managements strategy Field experiment on vegetables crops on drip irrigation Soil salinization, yield, water productivity Cost benefit analysis How to improve water productivity through deficit irrigation, Full crop water requirement, deficient irrigation, Climate change impact: potato crop: calibration of Aqua crop on new version that includes salinity Use new models in the future Two crops: wheat and Citrus Experimental and farmer scale: water stress, climate stress and salinity stress Farmer scale: increase water productivity (Open channel and groundwater) Aquacrop: apply to salinity and heat stress Last year: In relation to Irrigation Systems Tunisia

Managing the irrigation schemes Four steps: monitoring the system, looking for the data, model building and build some scenarios to improve the water productivity Tow types of soils; new and old land, one location in each system 240 ha old lands 70 ha new lands Winter crop: wheat and Alfalfa in old system Summer crops, trees and orcahrd, alfalfa: new system Monitor the water and the cropping patterns for two years Scenarios based on different soil compaction Survey and samples and soil samples Does the farmer knows about the compaction; according to the farmer apicultural practices and their effect on soil compaction New land: drip irrigation Old land: surface irrigation Last year: In relation to Irrigation Systems Egypt

Surface irrigation in Qaa: two seasons: winter season and summer Wells in north of El Qaa Distribution efficiency Two experiment on grapes and eggplants Deficit irrigation on eggplant Conservation agriculture, supplemental irrigation Farrow irrigation for wheat Eggplant: drip irrigation Grape new irrigation Last year: In relation to Irrigation Systems Lebanon

Iraq (workplan 2014 and challenges) Water productivity (upscale the benchmark) Grow different crops with same irrigation system – barley and other crops How to select of suitable model for our area?

Yemen 2014 Complete landuse planning Transfer techniques to the farmer Conduct workshop to discuss with decision makers the findings Select scenarios and models to decision makers Looking for models

Tunisia 2014 Same experiments Organize workshop for farmers in the field Demonstrate or the farmer the crop practices For citrus: Implement field experiments on deficit irrigation Aquacrop validation on climate change Impact of climate change on crop production Outscaling? We will communicate to stackeholder, to decision makers to support our program. May come to the next year and beyond Climate change: Heat effect on our production is being under study for now and then we may choose scenarios Source of water is far: climate change has to tackle the water supply also We have problem the salinity problem from marine water intrusion for citrus area We have people working on the watershed scale

Egypt 2014 Continue the assessment of the system Work on the downstream: the branch canals to the farmers Is your model is scalable to more canals It is possible because the canal system are the same all over We can not disseminate the model for the next year Soil compaction: we will have good result of this year could be disseminated for the next year Soil degradation in the old land Water productivity optimizer model No scaling up??? 50% of the area is rice and 20% is alfalafa and other are vegetables Water is not a limiting factor but it is becoming a limiting factor nowadays: economical forces: energy problem. Farmers do not like to change the crop patterns Change the water management to save water on farm level Distribution of the water is the problem: upstream takes more water while the downstream farmers have water from the drainage channels First communication with the ministry and then they will take decisions to be transferred to farmers Scale up is possible Data is the problem and update data

Lebanon Workplan 2014 Potato under drip irrigation (mulching) Estimate the evapotranspiration WEAP or SWAT model Drought resistant varieties of Tomato Cactus for fruits Upscaling: to watershed scale Upscaling: require another benchmark area WMS model on the hydrology of the area

Limitation and issues (specific problem or common to all countries) Iraq Convincing the decision makers How to provide the capabilities to the work: depend on supporters and decision makers Security problem on the work How WLI can help: Support to convince decision makers Help in modeling How to communicate with other WLI partners

Limitation and issues (specific problem or common to all countries) Yemen Security problems Help to prepare in landuse planning Training on GIS and modeling Limitation of ETo data

Limitation and issues (specific problem or common to all countries) Tunisia Purchase of equipment takes time with ICARDA approval We need suitable modeling for heat, salinity and climate change: or training on modeling How to select appropriate modeling

Limitation and issues (specific problem or common to all countries) Egypt Insecurity: vandalism WLI is asking for a lot of a reporting: no time for that (common concern for all countries) Funding is not sure Regional level for modeling the funds are available???? But not clear.

Limitation and issues (specific problem or common to all countries) Lebanon Security problem: close to Syria boarder Training on modeling

Workshops, meetings (famers and decision level) and Articles plans for next year Need discuss with other colleagues (Iraq) Yemen (one workshop with farmers) Tunisia: workshop for decision makers for the north, center and south; plus one on the modeling; three publications or more Egypt: field days 2; workshop: national scale one; one or two publications Lebanon: 1 or 2 field days; one or two publications

Thank you