As ICARDA turns a new leaf in 2003, it leaves 2002 full of achievements and recognition of its contributions to agricultural research in the dry areas, geared to alleviate poverty and hunger.

Awards for excellence in science

• Work to develop high-yielding kabuli chickpea varieties that thrive in cool, wet winter conditions helped earn for ICARDA the 2002 King Baudouin

Award from the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), jointly with its sister center the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), which focuses its research on desi chickpea. The award ceremony was held at the Annual General Meeting of the CGIAR in Manila, Philippines, in October 2002.

• ICARDA’s Director General, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, was elected Academician (Foreign Member) of the Tajik Academy of Agricultural Sciences in the field of crop science.
• Dr Rajendra S. Paroda, Regional Coordinator of ICARDA's Program for Central Asia and the Caucasus (CAC) and Head of the Program Facilitation Unit of the CGIAR Program for CAC, was elected Fellow of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Armenian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Academician of the Tajik Academy of Agricultural Sciences; and won the B.P. Pal Memorial Award for the Biennium 2001–2002 of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), India, for his outstanding contributions to overall agricultural research and development. Dr Paroda was also honored by the ICRISAT Board of Trustees and Management. In December 2002, the Institute's prestigious germplasm repository was named the Rajendra S. Paroda Genebank, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to genetic resources conservation.
• In June 2002, His Majesty the King of Morocco, Mohamed VI, conferred the royal medal "Chevalier d'Honneur" on International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center/ICARDA Durum Wheat Breeder Dr Miloudi Nachit for his research on durum genome mapping and his success in improving wheat production in Morocco, Syria, and the Mediterranean region.
• Dr Nachit, Dr Mustapha El-Bouhssini, Entomologist, and Dr Ahmed Amri, Coordinator, Regional Agrobiodiversity Project, shared with Drs N. Nserallah and S. Lhaloui of Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Morocco, the 2002 Prize for Research and Development in Morocco for their contributions to the development of the first durum wheat varieties resistant to Hessian fly.
• Dr El-Bouhssini also shared with Mr K. Mardini, Agricultural Research Center, Aleppo, and Dr Adnan Babi, University of Aleppo, the 2002 Basel Award for Scientific Agricultural Research in Syria for their contributions to the development of an integrated pest management package for chickpea leaf miner.
• At the International Soil Science Congress, held in Bangkok, Thailand, in August, Dr John Ryan, Soil Fertility Specialist, was elected Commission Chairman for Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition, of the International Union of Soil Scientists.

Rebuilding Agriculture in Afghanistan

Topping ICARDA's research agenda in 2002 was its efforts to rebuild agriculture in Afghanistan. In January, ICARDA convened a meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, attended by representatives from 34 international organizations and 10 CGIAR centers, to lay the foundation for action plans for rebuilding agriculture in Afghanistan.
    The first task of the ICARDA-led Future Harvest Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in Afghanistan entailed shipping 3500 tonnes of certified seed of improved wheat varieties to meet Afghan farmers' urgent needs. This 200-truck convoy was followed by a smaller, but no less important, shipment of seed from ICARDA headquarters, including Afghan landraces, stored in ICARDA's genebank, for testing, release, and further multiplication.
    The Consortium's research agenda goes much beyond seed systems. It organized four needs assessments that gleaned information from farm families throughout the country in (i) seed and crop improvement, (ii) soil and water management, (iii) livestock, forage and range, and (iv) horticulture. Information from these assessment missions was reviewed and discussed at a wrap-up meeting held at ICARDA in November 2002, and will form the basis of a wide range of crop, livestock, and infrastructure rehabilitation projects in 2003 and beyond.
    ICARDA has developed a strong relationship with the Afghan members of the Consortium, cemented by a meeting between Afghanistan's President, H.E. Mr Hamid Karzai, and Prof. Dr El-Beltagy in Kabul in October. A high-level Afghan delegation led by the Minister of Agriculture also visited ICARDA in the summer, following a visit by a delegation led by the Deputy Minister. On each occasion, plans were set for rehabilitation efforts, including laboratories, and for human resource development.
    The work of the Consortium continues in 2003, focused on farmers' needs for safe and secure water supplies, and ready access to credit, fertilizer, and quality seed. The objective is food security, and improved nutrition and income for Afghan farm families, while protecting the environment.

25th Anniversary

In May, ICARDA celebrated its 25th anniversary, with a program of seminars delivered by distinguished experts in policy and biotechnology research, attended by high-ranking international, regional and national scientists and administrators, and ICARDA staff. Prof. Dr El-Beltagy, made a comprehensive presentation in which he highlighted the achievements made and the work that remains to be done to improve the production systems in the dry areas. The 25th Anniversary program echoed the need for continued donor support to agricultural research and development in the world's dry areas.
    The Anniversary was marked by the release of a commemorative volume titled "ICARDA25: A Promise of Hope 1977-2002" written by Dr Mohamed A. Nour, former Director General of the Center.

Cooperation with NARS

• The Center hosted a meeting in May that capped a two-year effort to integrate regional research priorities more closely into the CGIAR agenda. Researchers and research administrators from throughout Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) met at headquarters to work through recommendations reached earlier at five sub-regional priority-setting meetings organized by ICARDA in 2001/2002. Since ICARDA's research agenda is driven by NARS' needs, the research integration effort should go a long way in ensuring the continued efficiency and effectiveness of the Center’s international cooperation.
• The relationships between ICARDA and NARS reached new horizons, as ICARDA's Director General personally met with Heads of State and Ministers to evaluate needs and help shape the strategic direction of national research and development programs.
• In January, the Prime Minister of Syria, Dr Muhammed Mustafa Mero, and the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Dr Nour-Eddine Mona, received Prof. Dr El-Beltagy, to discuss ongoing cooperation between ICARDA and the Syrian national program.
• In the same month, H.E. Prof. Dr Youssuf Wally, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Egypt, signed a twinning agreement between ICARDA and the Central Laboratory for Agricultural Expert Systems, and a cooperation agreement with the Desert Research Center, Egypt.
• In March, the Director General met with Mauritania's Prime Minister, H.E. Cheikh El Avia Ould Mohamed Khouna, and the country's Minister of Rural Development and Environment, H.E. Moustapha Ould Maouloud. An eight-point aide mémoire was signed outlining future collaboration.
• The Iranian Minister of Agriculture, H.E. Mahmoud Hojjati, headed a mission to ICARDA in May. The Director General recalled the history of the establishment and development of ICARDA and the continuing role of Iran in enabling the Center to meet the agricultural research needs of the high-elevation areas in the region.
• Also in May, a delegation of German Parliamentarians visited ICARDA headquarters for a briefing and tour of facilities. The Director General emphasized the Center's close ties with Germany, which is a major donor to ICARDA.
• The Prime Minister of Tajikistan, H.E. Akil Akilov, and the Deputy Prime Minister, H.E. Kozidavlat Koimdodov, received the Director General in Dushanbe in September and signed a memorandum of agreement to expand cooperation between ICARDA and Tajikistan.
• Uzbekistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Water Management, H.E. Sobirjon Yusupov, received the Director General in Tashkent in June, on the occasion of the fifth annual program steering committee meeting of the CGIAR collaborative program for sustainable agricultural development in CAC.
• Pakistan's Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock, H.E. Khair Muhammad Junejo, received Prof. Dr El-Beltagy in October. H.E. the Minister supported increased collaboration with the Center and expressed support for a memorandum of understanding between ICARDA and Pakistan.

Planning for progress

ICARDA hosted and took part in numerous important meetings in 2002. Among these was the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg, South Africa in August and September. The Summit drew thousands of participants, including heads of state, senior government officials, national delegates, and leaders from international and non-governmental organizations. Prof. Dr El-Beltagy represented ICARDA as a CGIAR delegate, and made a presentation on "Mobilizing Science for Growth and Sustainable Development: The Power of Partnership." He highlighted the role of agriculture in improving the quality of life of the poor, in protecting the natural resource base, and in promoting economic growth.
    In March, donors, researchers, and development administrators met at ICARDA headquarters to consider a draft regional program for sustainable development of rainfed areas of West Asia and North Africa. It was a follow-up to a ministerial meeting held in Rabat, Morocco, in June.
    Prof. Dr El-Beltagy joined other distinguished public and private sector scientists from around the world in Alexandria, Egypt, in March to discuss the latest advances and issues related to biotechnology. The conference was held at the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
    The Second International Workshop on Barley Leaf Blights was held at ICARDA in April. Prof. Dr El-Beltagy commended the contributions of the participating scientists to improving the lives of farm families by increasing crop productivity through disease reduction.
    Environmentalists, academicians, and agriculturalists met at ICARDA in May for an international workshop entitled "Desertification: Rehabilitation of Degraded Drylands and Biosphere Reserves."
    Environmentalists and agriculturalists joined forces again at ICARDA in May for a workshop entitled "Agriculture, Environment and Human Welfare in West Asia and North Africa." The workshop was organized in cooperation with the International Geosphere Biosphere Program and the International Dryland Development Commission.
    An international workshop was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in June to identify useful technologies and to develop training plans and demonstration materials needed to extend these technologies through local, national, regional, and international organizations operating in the country.
    Some 50 delegates working on a United Nations-led initiative to combat desertification visited ICARDA headquarters in July to learn more about the Center's work in dryland agriculture and natural resources management.
    In August, some 45 scientists attended a workshop at ICARDA to plan an international, science-based program to combat desertification. The workshop was co-convened with ICRISAT.
    The fourth meeting of the Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM) Task Force of the CGIAR was held at ICARDA headquarters in September. INRM is one of the three pillars of the CGIAR's agenda, along with integrated gene management and information technology.
    The Regional Dryland Agrobiodiversity project, funded by the Global Environment Facility and the United Nations Development Programme, held its annual meeting in Amman, Jordan, in September. The project aims at conserving dryland agrobiodiversity through profitable on-farm utilization of important local species.
    In November, ICARDA was the featured CGIAR Center at the Tri-Society Meeting of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), held in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Several ICARDA scientists, led by the Center’s Director General, presented papers and posters. Prof. Dr El-Beltagy was the guest speaker at a special symposium on "Collaborative Strategy to Combat Drought."

Varieties released in 2002

Five new varieties, developed jointly by ICARDA and NARS using the Center's germplasm, were released in 2002—one winter wheat, two chickpea, and two lentil.
    Since 1995, breeders in Uzbekistan have been testing bree- ding material from the Turkey/CIMMYT/ICARDA International Program of Winter Wheat Improvement. Many promising lines have been identified; among them BDME-9 (YMH/TOB/ MCD/3/LIRA), which was released by the State Variety Testing Commission under the name ‘Dostlik’ in December for cultivation in five provinces. The variety is drought and salt tolerant, has good resistance to pests and diseases, especially to yellow rust, and outyielded the local checks by 10-14% in multilocation trials. It holds good potential, and should help improve the lives of resource-poor farmers.
    Two lentil varieties and two winter chickpea varieties, developed jointly by ICARDA and the Syrian national program, were released by the Syrian National Variety Release Committee in November, at a meeting chaired by H.E. Dr Nour-Eddine Mona, Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform.
    The varieties were jointly evaluated by ICARDA and Syrian national program scientists at representative sites throughout the country.
    ILL 6994 lentil is high yielding, wilt resistant, and suitable for mechanical harvesting due to its lodging resistance. Released under the name ‘Idlib-3’, it is recommended for planting in low-rainfall areas. It has desirable genes from two parents of Jordanian and Moroccan origin.
    ILL 7201 lentil is high yielding, wilt resistant, and suitable for mechanical harvesting. Released as ‘Idlib-4’, it is recommended for planting in Zone 2, including Aleppo, Idleb, and Al-Hasakeh. It possesses desirable genes from four parents from Ethiopia, Lebanon, Mexico, and Syria.
    FLIP 93-93C chickpea is high yielding, ascochyta blight tolerant, and suitable for mechanical harvesting. Released as ‘Ghab 4’, it is recommended for Zones 1 and 2, except Malkieh.
    FLIP 88-85C chickpea is high yielding, ascochyta blight tolerant, and suitable for mechanical harvesting. Released as ‘Ghab 5’, it is recommended for Zones 1 and 2, except Malkieh. An IPM package was recommended for both varieties.

ICARDA's (www.icarda.org) mission is to improve the welfare of people and alleviate poverty through research and training in dry areas of the developing world by increasing production, productivity, and nutritional quality of food, while preserving and enhancing the natural resource base. ICARDA is a Future Harvest Center.