4d.Progress report.
This report serves to document research conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS and Jordan's Ministry of Agriculture-National Center for Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer (NCARTT). Funding is provided under a reimbursable agreement with the Department of State (CRIS 4001-22310-002-44R) and work is in partnership with the Arab Agronomist Association (AAA), West Bank (CRIS 4001-22310 002-48S), the Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), The Volcani Center, the Center for Community Development and MIGAL, Israel (CRIS 0210-22310-002-90S, CRIS 4001-22310-002-47S and 0210-22310-002-79G,). Water scarcity and competing demands for water have become one of the key barriers to sustainable agriculture production in the Middle East and Jordan in particular. 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 Middle Eastern co-operators will work to establish the technological and human infrastructure required to achieve long-term sustained water conservation in Jordan and the U.S. The project was launched in July, 2003.

As part of the Irrigation Management Information System (IMIS) project, Dr. Naem Mazahrih, a Jordanian scientist visited ARS for one year. Dr. Mazahrih is Researcher in Irrigation Management with NCARTT, Jordan Ministry of Agriculture. Dr. Mazahrih worked at the USDA-ARS-Water Management Research Lab in Parlier, California with ARS scientists and Visiting Researchers (VRs) from Israel and the West Bank on the multilateral US-Middle East IMIS project, from the November 15, 2004 through November 15, 2005.

Dr. Naem Mazahrih returned to Jordan and has resumed his previous position at NCARTT. He is in continuous communication with Drs. Evett and Ayers as well as the regional IMIS project cooperators to work on 2006 cropping season research activities. Dr. Mazahrih is coordinating future research activities with his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts.

Drs. Ayars and Evett facilitated the shipment of two Lysimeter scales from the U.S to the Jordanian cooperators. The weighing lysimeters will improve the quality of data collection and analysis will help scientists conduct high quality research. The weighing lysimeters will be installed at the Dear Alla Research Station in the Jordan Valley this summer. Construction for the weighing lysimeter for crop water use determinations at the Dear Alla Research Station in the Jordan Valley, Jordan, is underway. Dr. Steve Evett provided the plans, design and technical assistance to NCARTT.

An experiment based on meteorological data to determine irrigation (using drip irrigation system) indicators for onion crops was conducted in Dear Alla-regional research center which is located in the Jordan Valley. The experiment began in December 2005, and was completed in May 2006.The experimental design was as follows: Five treatments in CRBD replicated five times. Each treatment consists of four laterals with 5 m length (plot area 20 m2). The onion experiment was harvested during May 2006. Onion productivity and water use efficiency were calculated for the all treatments. The primary results showed that there were no significant difference in onion yield between the irrigation treatments( Farmer, Extension, 70, 100 and 130% of Etc) while the optimum level was achieved at 70% of Etc irrigation level with higher water use efficiency reaches more than 200% of farmer treatment(the control).

Overall progress in this program includes increased scientific cooperation amongst American, Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian scientists, creation of an agricultural meteorological station network with an internet site (www.merimis.org), improved knowledge of crop water use for several crops in the region, and positive plans for future collaboration on the pressing water issues of the region.