Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) Initiate cooperative research designed to improve irrigation methods, drainage and water management, as well as revegetate watersheds, reduce erosion and sedimentation in reservoirs and channels, and increase recharge to aquifers. Approach (from AD-416) The program will be implemented in a phased approach focused on (1) environmental survey and needs assessment, (2) technology/information transfer, (3) assisting Pakistani cooperators to tailor ARS technologies to local circumstances. Phase one will include an ARS mission to Pakistan to consult with Pakistani cooperators at the Pakistani Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) and conduct a preliminary assessment of conditions in a minimum of four locations. Phase two will include a mission where six Pakistani scientists identified through the PCRWR and approved by ARS will travel to US facilities to work for approximately 3 months to learn specific water resource technologies and models identified in phase one. Pakistani scientists will then adapt these technologies and models to Pakistani conditions and share collected data. Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations This joint project between the Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resource (PCRWR) and ARS, funded through an interagency agreement with the U.S. State Department sought to provide an integrated, holistic approach to soil and water resource management by improving the efficiency of existing water supplies (i.e., improved irrigation management), creating an opportunity to reuse drainage water or use lesser quality water on economically valuable crops and/or forages (i.e., salinity and trace element management), and giving users a tool to evaluate risk and make informed decisions about changes in their water management practices (i.e., SWAT). In FY 2007, a representative from Texas A & M University and ARS traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan to conduct workshop and seminars related watershed and water quality modeling for the PCRWR and University of Faisalabad.
Impacts
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Progress 08/17/04 to 06/30/07
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) Initiate cooperative research designed to improve irrigation methods, drainage and water management, as well as revegetate watersheds, reduce erosion and sedimentation in reservoirs and channels, and increase recharge to aquifers. Approach (from AD-416) The program will be implemented in a phased approach focused on (1) environmental survey and needs assessment, (2) technology/information transfer, (3) assisting Pakistani cooperators to tailor ARS technologies to local circumstances. Phase one will include an ARS mission to Pakistan to consult with Pakistani cooperators at the Pakistani Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) and conduct a preliminary assessment of conditions in a minimum of four locations. Phase two will include a mission where six Pakistani scientists identified through the PCRWR and approved by ARS will travel to US facilities to work for approximately 3 months to learn specific water resource technologies and models identified in phase one. Pakistani scientists will then adapt these technologies and models to Pakistani conditions and share collected data. Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations All activity on this agreement concluded in FY2008, project will be terminated.
Impacts
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Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06
Outputs
Progress Report 4d Progress report. This joint project between the Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resource (PCRWR) and ARS, funded through an interagency agreement with the US State Department sought to provide an integrated, holistic approach to soil and water resource management by improving the efficiency of existing water supplies (i.e., improved irrigation management), creating an opportunity to reuse drainage water or use lesser quality water on economically valuable crops and/or forages (i.e., salinity and trace element management), and giving users a tool to make informed decisions and risk assessment of changes in their water practices (i.e., SWAT). In FY 2006, Pakistani scientists traveled to ARS locations to examine the following objectives and learn more about ARS activities in these areas: 1. To develop databases for application of regional scale water models for assessing the impact of management practices for surface and ground water quality and
quantity. Natural Resources Systems Research , Temple TX 2. Evaluate the potential use of plant materials for reducing erosion and sediment transport from watersheds. Hydrology and Remote Sensing lab, Beltsville, MD National Soil Tilth lab, Ames, IA National Sedimentation lab, Oxford, MS 3. To increase on-farm irrigation efficiencies through improved technology and crop and water management strategies. San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center: Water Management Research, Parlier, CA Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Laboratory (NWISRL), Kimberly, ID 4. To increase farm productivity using saline water through appropriate crop selection and saline water management. U.S. Salinity Laboratory: Plant Sciences Research, Riverside, CA 5. To continue water quality monitoring with improved analytical capability to analyze agricultural chemical residues. U.S. Salinity Laboratory: Plant Sciences Research, Riverside, CA Environmental Quality Laboratory, Beltsville MD PCRWR researchers
reported their findings back to the Pakistani Ministry of Science and Technology for discussion on future project areas. The initial technology transfer stage of the project is complete, but PCRWR, ARS, and Texas A&M scientists have developed a proposal to tailor the SWAT and ADAPT models to Pakistani conditions, seeking funds for a new 3 year project.
Impacts
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Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
4d Progress report. This report serves to document cooperative activities conducted through a reimbursable agreement between ARS and the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES), in support of scientific initiatives in Pakistan. In April 2005, a team of ARS researchers traveled to Pakistan to complete the assessment phase of this project. ARS worked with a local counterpart in Pakistan, the Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), to identify the following areas for research cooperation: 1. WATERSHED MANAGEMENT A) SWAT, Soil Water Assessment Tool--The SWAT system will be used by the PCRWR to predict the effect of management decisions on water, sediment, nutrient and pesticide yields on large, ungaged river basins. B) SedimentationARS and PCRWR will work to develop new concepts and improved models for understanding of the characteristics and processes of soil erosion, sediment transport
and landscape evolution on arid and semi- arid rangelands. C) Revegetation--Native plant material of Pakistan will evaluated for potential revegetation of watersheds using stiff-grass hedges to reduce soil erosion and sedimentation in reservoirs and channels and increase recharge to aquifers. 2. WATER USE EFFICIENCIES ARS and PCRWR will study the production system including water, fertility, cultural, and pest control aspects to develop precision agricultural systems and management strategies. 3. SALT TOLERANCE ARS and PCRWR will identify and quantify plant, soil, water, and environmental interactions that contribute to yield loss and morphological changes due to salinity, and develop management strategies to effectively utilize salt water. The partners will also develop sustainable management options and alternatives that will avoid regional and on-farm crop losses due to salinity, determine genetic factors for salt and ion tolerances, identify primary, fundamental causes of salt-
induced yield and growth reduction, and identify salt-induced changes in morphology and physiology. Cooperative research in these areas are scheduled to begin in Autumn 2005.
Impacts
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