Water and Cereals in Drylands

WATER AND CEREALS
IN DRYLANDS

Full PDF 4,703 Kb


FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS (FAO)
Roma, 2008

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specifi c companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of FAO.

All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product for educational or other non-commercial purposes are authorized without any prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of material in this information product for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the copyright holder. Applications for such permission should be addressed to the Chief, Electronic Publishing Policy and Support Branch, Communication Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy or by e-mail to [email protected].

CONTENT

    ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - 170 Kb
    PREFACE
    INTRODUCTION

1. DRYLANDS, PEOPLE AND LAND USE - 1,359 Kb

    Characteristics of drylands
    Dryland people
    Land use systems in drylands
    Land degradation in drylands
    Effects of livestock on the resource base
    Effects of climate change on drylands

2. CEREAL PRODUCTION IN DRYLANDS - 151 Kb

    Recent trends in worldwide cereal production
    The role of livestock in cereal production
    The role of irrigation in cereal production
    Expansion of cereal production

3. ENHANCING CEREAL PRODUCTION IN DRYLANDS - 358 Kb

    Water-use efficiency
    In situ water conservation
    Terraces
    Conservation bench terraces
    Contour furrows
    Contour bunds
    Land levelling with laser and mini benches
    Tied ridges
    Water harvesting
    Micro catchments
    Macro catchments
    Floodwater harvesting
    Rooftop water harvesting
    Factors affecting runoff
    Reducing evaporation
    Increasing soil organic matter content and fertility
    The importance of crop and cultivar selection
    Role of indigenous and introduced practices
    Combining modern with traditional technologies
    Supplementary irrigation in semi-arid regions

4. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF DRYLAND INVESTMENT - 165 Kb

    Investment constraints
    Investment potential
    Opportunities and risks of growing feedstocks for biofuels in drylands
    Payments for environmental services
    Carbon trading
    Economics of water harvesting
    Economics of water-conservation practices
    Current scenario in dryland regions

5. WIDER ISSUES OF WATER IN DRYLANDS - 126 Kb

    CONCLUSIONS - 37 Kb
    BIBLIOGRAPHY - 115 Kb

    ANNEXES
    1. DEFINITIONS OF DRYLANDS AND DRYLAND FARMING - 59 Kb
    2. DEVELOPMENT OF DRYLAND FARMING IN VARIOUS REGIONS - 74 Kb
    3. BACKGROUND TABLES - 59 Kb
    4. CEREALS PRODUCTION MAPS - 562 Kb

    INDEX - 76 Kb

© FAO 2010