Day 2- ICARDA

Today we met Dr. Hassan Machlab a representative from ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in Drie Areas) at Gerbil research center in Beqaa, Lebanon. A great exchange of information took place, some very promising for the future of the rock village. ICARDA is 1 of 15 worldwide centers all involved increasing agricultural productivity in dry areas. To do this they specialize in breeding plants to select the best traits for these dry regions. The GMO's for Lebanon are bred to be disease resistant and to be better adapted for cold climates. This organization also has access to the regions largest gene bank in Syria, and has had some positive impacts on farms in the Beqqa region.

ICARDA is trying to provide these technologies to poor farmers, because higher yields provide more money for these people. They also work closey with LARI (Lebanese Agricultural Research Institution) and together have trained over 16,000 people through short course, masters, and PhD programs.

Despite all of these excellent programs, the direct impact ICARDA and LARI can have on the Rock Village is limited due to tight budgets and lack of funding. Dr. Machlab said the most direct thing they could provide were wheat seeds designed for the region. He said he would also be available by phone or meeting to talk about best ways to grow (how much fertilizer, water, etc).

He also introduced us to the idea of seed multiplication where the seeds of the crops are collected and treated so they can be planted for the next season. In two or three years this technology would allow the village to not have to buy any seeds and also possibly sell the seeds to surrounding areas. This is an area we would like to research because he said the process was quite intensive.

From here we at least know the knowledge and materials are available for the Rock Village, but funding is one of the biggest obstacles. To successfully implement these programs in the Rock Village, people first need to be educated in the methods enough so they will be able to instruct others.

Fields of ICARDA.