Enhancing productivity of salt-prone land and water sustain smallholders in West and Central Asia

[Slp_ grant_icarda07]

full title: "Enhancing the productivity of salt-prone land and water resources to ensure sustainability of smallholder crop-livestock farmers in West and Central Asia"

Many small-scale farmers in South and Central Asia have to contend with low productivity of their crop–livestock systems due to saline soils. There is also a general lack of information on the productivity potential of important salt-tolerant feed crops and forage legumes, particularly concerning their storage, palatability, digestibility and nutritive value. Study and socio-economic evaluation of the introduction of salt-tolerant species and marketing opportunities would help to develop various farming options and increase the resilience of mixed crop–livestock farming systems.

With a comprehensive approach to the management of soil, water, crops and livestock as well as marketing interventions, this project will focus on target areas in the Indus, Euphrates and Aral Sea basins, where salt-affected soil and saline water resources are a growing issue. The project is expected to generate a set of recommendations for the productive use of such soil and water resources for integrated crop–livestock systems for resource-poor farmers with options for extrapolation to other similar areas elsewhere in the world. The project development workshop was attended by researchers from Pakistan, Syria and Uzbekistan. The full project proposal will be submitted to a potential donor and is expected to result in greater funding for project execution in these countries.