4d.Progress report.
This report serves to document research conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS and the Arab Agronomist Association (AAA), West Bank. Starting October 1, 2005, AAA became the cooperating institution with ARS as a replacement of Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees for CRIS 0210-22310-002-48S. Funding is provided under a reimbursable agreement with the Department of State (CRIS 4001-22310-002-44R) and work is in partnership with Jordan's Ministry of Agriculture (CRIS 4001-22310-002-46S) and Israel (CRIS 4001-22310-002-47S). Water scarcity and competing demands for water have become one of the key barriers to sustainable agriculture production in the Middle East and the West Bank. Under the direction of Dr. James Ayars, ARS Water Management Research Laboratory, Parlier, CA, and Dr. Steven Evett, ARS Soil and Water Management Research Unit, Bushland, TX, the co-operators are working to establish the technological and human infrastructure required to achieve long-term sustained water conservation in the U.S. and Middle East.

As part of the Irrigation Management Information System (IMIS) project, Mr. Nedal Katbeh-Bader a Palestinian researcher visited ARS for a one-year training program. The Palestinian visiting researcher is a Theme Leader for the Watershed Management-Regional Initiative for Dryland Management for the West Bank/Gaza. Mr. Katbeh worked at the USDA-ARS Water Management Research Lab in Parlier, California with ARS scientists and Visiting Researchers (VRs) from Israel and Jordan on the multilateral US-Middle East IMIS project, from the November 15, 2004 through November 15, 2005.

The VRs finalized their U.S. field research on irrigation experiments located at ARS laboratory, Parlier, California. In advance of their departure, the VRs met with their ARS mentors to discuss the next steps and plan for the research activities in the VRs respective countries. Research results are currently under review and analysis in order to process and utilize collected data from their studies. A cooperative agreement between Al-Quds University and AAA was finalized and signed. The objective is to establish a formal agreement between the two parties whereby Al-Quds University provides the technical and scientific support for AAA and the regional IMIS project cooperators.

The second year experiment conducted in the Jenin region on pickling cucumbers concluded and the Palestinians are cooperating with the Israeli researchers on the data analysis and research outcomes. The results of the research will serve as the basis for developing irrigation recommendations for Jenin within three years.

The fourth weather station was installed in Qabalan in Nabulus region and a fifth station will be purchased and installed in Gaza during 2006/2007 season. In Qbabalan region farmers are encouraged to irrigate with recycled water from a nearby water treatment plant. The meteorological station will provide data to farmers and researchers conducting research for developing a formula for crop water requirement for olive. The Palestinians cooperators are currently conducting research on date palm irrigation scheduling in Jericho. Research is conducted in cooperation with Al-Quds University. Al-Quds provides the scientific support and the facilities to conduct analysis.

Eng. Iyad Mashal, IMIS Web Master, finalized the IMIS database to give quick useful up-to-date meteorological information. In addition, the Arabic website is also in operation. Eng. Mashal travels to Jordan and Israel to coordinate activities between all parties, especially in regard to field research and data collection management.

The Palestinian cooperators are working closely with U.S., Israeli, and Jordanian cooperators to build a network of agricultural meteorological stations with an Internet site (www.merimis.org), to improve knowledge of crop water use for several crops in the region, and to attain a positive outlook for future collaboration on the pressing water issues in the region.