A GIS-based methodological framework to identify superficial water sources and their corresponding conduction paths for gravity-driven irrigation systems in developing countries

The limited availability of fresh water is a major constraint to agricultural productivity and livelihood security in many developing countries. Within the coming decades, smallholder farmers in drought-prone areas are expected to be increasingly confronted with local water scarcity problems, but their access to technological knowledge and financial resources to cope with these problems is often limited. In this article, we present a methodological framework that allows for identifying, in a short period of time, suitable and superficial water sources, and cost-effective water transportation routes for the provisioning of gravity-driven irrigation systems. As an implementation of the framework, we present the automated and extensible geospatial toolset named “AGRI’’, and elaborate a case study in Western Honduras, where the methodology and toolset were applied to provide assistance to field technicians in the process of identifying water intake sites and transportation routes. The case study results show that 28 % of the water intake sites previously identified by technicians (without the support of AGRI) were found to be not feasible for gravity-driven irrigation. On the other hand, for the feasible water intake sites, AGRI was able to provide viable and shorter water transportation routes to farms in 70 % of the cases. Furthermore, AGRI was able to provide alternative feasible water intake sites for all considered farms, with correspondingly viable water transportation routes for 74 % of them. These results demonstrate AGRI’s potential to reduce time, costs and risk of failure associated with the development of low-cost irrigation systems, which becomes increasingly needed to support the livelihoods of some of the world’s most vulnerable populations

Modelamiento con el apoyo de Sistemas de Información Geográfica de los efectos de cambio climático sobre parientes silvestres de cultivos prioritarios para la alimentación y la agricultura Estudio de caso frijol común.

Climate change assessment on crop wild relatives is useful for taking decisions about their in situ conservation. The bioclimatic variables can be used as environmental predictors for niche modeling and assessment of the climate change effect. In this study, data of occurrence/pseudo-absence from 34 taxa of the Phaseolus genera relatives of common bean were used. In order to remove the variables that present redundant information, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and biological significance of the variables were analyzed. Niches were modeled using Maxent under present and future conditions (2020-2059 SRESA1B), using all and a selection of variables and under migration and no-migration. In 27 taxa only 10 variables were selected for modeling. No extinction danger were found for any taxon, however if the taxon were unable to migrate its niche would fragment and loss area, but under migration some niches would be winners and other losers. The zone that could lose more biodiversity is the north of the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico and under migration the south of this region would gain. No evident trend was seen about the actual size of the niches or the number of occurrences and the future niche and its fragmentation. The results allowed the validation of the method used for removing variables.La evaluación del cambio climático en parientes silvestres de cultivos permite tomar decisiones para su conservación in situ. Las variables bioclimáticas sirven como predictores para modelar nichos y evaluar los efectos del cambio climático. En este estudio se utilizaron datos de ocurrencia/pseudo-ausencias de 34 taxones del género Phaseolus parientes del frijol común. Mediante un análisis de componentes principales (ACP) y la evaluación de la significancia biológica de las variables se removieron las que presentaban información redundante. Se modelaron nichos en Maxent en condiciones presentes y futuras (2020-2059 SRESA1B), usando todas y una selección de variables y teniendo en cuenta migración y no migración. Para 27 taxones se seleccionó el modelamiento con 10 variables seleccionadas. Ninguno de los taxones presentó peligro de extinción, pero de no migrar sus nichos se fragmentarán y perderián área, pero si hay migración habrá nichos ganadores y perdedores. La zona de mayor pérdida de biodiversidad ocurriría en la parte norte de la Sierra Madre Occidental en México y la mayor ganancia, cuando hay migración, estaría al sur de esta. No se encontró una tendencia clara entre el tamaño de los nichos actuales y el número de ocurrencias con el nicho futuro y su fragmentación. Los resultados permitieron la validación de la metodología utilizada para la remoción de variables

Evaluación hidrológica y recomendaciones de manejo de agua para la Alianza Cacao en El Salvador

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) está liderando “El Salvador National Cacao Initiative” (referida como la Alianza Cacao), una iniciativa para promover el sector del cacao en El Salvador. Esta iniciativa está financiada por la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional (USAID), la Fundación Howard G Buffett, la Corporación del Desafío del Milenio (MCC) y el Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos, incluyendo al Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (MARN) y al Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería (MAG) de El Salvador. CRS está implementando esta iniciativa en conjunto con varias ONG internacionales (entre ellas, el Centro Internacional para Agricultura Tropical - CIAT) y socios locales. La meta de la Alianza Cacao es establecer 10,000 ha de cacao de alta calidad en el país entre 2014 y 2018, trabajando con al menos 6,000 pequeños agricultores. Para esto, se han identificado dos factores críticos que potencialmente limitan la producción de cacao: la degradación generalizada del suelo y los patrones variables de precipitación. La degradación de los suelos causada por la erosión de las pobres prácticas agrícolas y la deforestación limita severamente la producción agrícola en El Salvador. A su vez, la temporada seca de seis meses en El Salvador crea serias limitaciones, pero estos desafíos no son exclusivos de El Salvador y existen casos de ejemplo (Ecuador, Brasil y Ghana) donde el cacao puede ser cultivado exitosamente en ambientes semiáridos y con largas temporadas secas. Basado en lo anterior, CRS subcontrató al CIAT para evaluar las condiciones hidrológicas en las zonas donde trabaja la Alianza Cacao y priorizar tres áreas para desarrollar recomendaciones de manejo de suelo y agua en cultivos de Cacao en El Salvador utilizando una combinación de herramientas de mapeo digital de suelos, modelación hidrológica y sistemas de información geográfica (SIG)

Identifying candidate sites for crop biofortification in Latin America: case studies in Colombia, Nicaragua and Bolivia

BACKGROUND: Agricultural science can address a population's vitamin, amino acid and mineral malnutrition through biofortification - agronomy, plant breeding and biotechnology to develop crops with high nutrient contents. Biofortified crop varieties should be grown in areas with populations at risk of nutrient deficiency and in areas where the same crop is already grown and consumed. Information on the population at risk of nutrient deficiency is rarely available for sub-national administrative units, such as provinces, districts, and municipalities. Nor is this type of information commonly analyzed with data on agricultural production. This project developed a method to identify populations at risk of nutrient deficiency in zones with high crop production, places where biofortification interventions could be targeted. RESULTS: Nutrient deficiency risk data were combined with crop production and socioeconomic data to assess the suitability of establishing an intervention. Our analysis developed maps of candidate sites for biofortification interventions for nine countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Results for Colombia, Nicaragua, and Bolivia are presented in this paper. Interventions in northern Colombia appear promising for all crops, while sites for bean biofortification are widely scattered throughout the country. The most promising sites in Nicaragua are found in the center-north region. Candidate sites for biofortification in Bolivia are found in the central part of the country, in the Andes Mountains. The availability and resolution of data limits the analysis. Some areas show opportunities for biofortification of several crops, taking advantage of their spatial coincidence. Results from this analysis should be confirmed by experts or through field visits. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates a method for identifying candidate sites for biofortification interventions. The method evaluates populations at risk of nutrient deficiencies for sub-national administrative regions, and provides a reasonable alternative to more costly, information-intensive approaches

AGRI (AGua para RIego)

AGRI-Honduras Online is a Web GIS Application to identify potential sites for supplying water to communities for potable water and smallholder irrigation use

Evaluation of an andean common bean reference collection under drought stress

More than 60% of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) production worldwide is impacted by the risk of drought. In this study, the goal was to evaluate 64 bush bean genotypes from the CIAT reference collection to identify possible sources of drought resistance in the Andean gene pool. Phenotypic traits such as yield, 100-seed weight (P100) and days to physiological maturity (Dpm) were evaluated on selected accessions of this collection which was grown in an 8x8 lattice with two repetitions under three environments: intermittent drought (SI) and irrigation (R) in Palmira as well as early drought (ST) in Darién, Colombia. The genotypes included 20 from the Nueva Granada 1 (NG1) sub-race, 19 from the Nueva Granada 2 (NG2) sub-race, 10 from race Peru (P), 14 Andean control genotypes and one Mesoamerican check. The variables were analyzed through a combined ANOVA across environments, while simple correlations between yield and others variables were determinate. The genotypes with better adaptation to drought showed higher yields, 100-seed weight and fewer days to physiological maturity. The coefficients of correlations among yield and 100-seed weight were significant and positive, while Dpm showed negative correlation. Fourteen genotypes were identified as drought tolerant: G4001, G5625, G6639, G16115, G17070, G18255, G21210 and G22247 from the NG1 sub-race; G5708, G14253, G18264 and LRK31 from the NG2 sub-race; and DRK47 and G22147 from race Peru.More than 60% of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) production worldwide is impacted by the risk of drought. In this study, the goal was to evaluate 64 bush bean genotypes from the CIAT reference collection to identify possible sources of drought resistance in the Andean gene pool. Phenotypic traits such as yield, 100-seed weight (P100) and days to physiological maturity (Dpm) were evaluated on selected accessions of this collection which was grown in an 8x8 lattice with two repetitions under three environments: intermittent drought (SI) and irrigation (R) in Palmira as well as early drought (ST) in Darién, Colombia. The genotypes included 20 from the Nueva Granada 1 (NG1) sub-race, 19 from the Nueva Granada 2 (NG2) sub-race, 10 from race Peru (P), 14 Andean control genotypes and one Mesoamerican check. The variables were analyzed through a combined ANOVA across environments, while simple correlations between yield and others variables were determinate. The genotypes with better adaptation to drought showed higher yields, 100-seed weight and fewer days to physiological maturity. The coefficients of correlations among yield and 100-seed weight were significant and positive, while Dpm showed negative correlation. Fourteen genotypes were identified as drought tolerant: G4001, G5625, G6639, G16115, G17070, G18255, G21210 and G22247 from the NG1 sub-race; G5708, G14253, G18264 and LRK31 from the NG2 sub-race; and DRK47 and G22147 from race Peru

Un esquema conceptual para identificar localidades com poblaciones em riesgo de anemia y desnutrición crónica

Datos nacionales e incluso departamentales de anemia y desnutrición crónica se recolectan con periodicidad. Es raro encontrar datos a nivel municipal del estado nutricional de una población, información necesaria para focalizar intervenciones. Un esquema conceptual se desarrolló, aplicó y válido. Datos bioquímicos (prevalencia departamental de hemoglobina infantil < 11 g/dL), antropométricos (prevalencia departamental de talla/edad infantil < -2 Desviación Estándar) y socioeconómicos (a nivel municipal, índice de intensidad de pobreza ó población bajo la línea de pobreza extrema) se usaron para identificar localidades con riesgo de presentar anemia y desnutrición crónica, en 11 países latinoamericanos. En un sistema de información geográfica, se unificaron datos nutricionales y socioeconómicos a un mismo formato espacial, que representaba una localidad en un determinado departamento de un país. Se ubicaron aquellas localidades donde coincidían alta desnutrición (anemia o crónica) y pobreza. Para La desnutrición crónica, hubo una alta relación de localidades identificadas con el esquema, al compararlas con datos recolectados a nivel municipal (8 66%), mas no cuando se comparó con un método estadístico (0%). Este esquema articulado a un software de mapeo facilitó la identificación de localidades con poblaciones en riesgo a anemia y desnutrición crónica. Es importante validar el esquema con estudios de campo