Research scientists must have access to field records to ensure that their experimental treatments are neither masked nor affected by previous land usage. Research fields must be identified on the ground and accurate records kept of all operations and treatments carried out. Several procedures have been developed at IITA which help to ensure accurate field records are maintained and so research accuracy is improved.

CRP 1.1 was presented at the 4th Fund Council Meeting in April 2011. CRP1.1 targets the poor and highly vulnerable populations of the dry areas. It aims to develop technology, policy and institutional innovations to improve livelihoods, using an integrated systems approach. The program focuses on four strategic research themes (SRTs ) which cut across five focus regions. This CRP was approved with conditions at the meeting and subsequently received unconditional approval of inception phase & conditional approval of overall program & budget on Nov. 9, 2011.

Accurate biomass estimation is critical to quantify the changes in biomass and carbon stocks following the restoration of degraded landscapes. However, there is lack of site-specific allometric equations for the estimation of aboveground biomass (AGB), which consequently limits our understanding of the contributions of restoration efforts in mitigating climate change. This study was conducted in northwestern Ethiopia to develop a multi-species allometric equation and investigate the spatial and temporal variation of C-stocks following the restoration of degraded landscapes.

Every year in Africa, nearly 3 million hectares of forests are lost and sixty five percent (65%)
of the land is affected by degradation. An estimated 3 percent of GDP is lost annually from
soil and nutrient depletion on cropland. This places forest loss and land degradation among
the key challenges facing Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). Exacerbated by climate change and
poor management of agricultural lands, forest degradation threatens the water supplies and
ecological functions vital to all SSA economies. Rural smallholder farmers and households

Beans are an important crop for food and income generation in Swaziland. They do very well in the higher areas of the country although can be grown in all the regions. They are also the second legume to Swazi farmers after groundnuts in importance. Different farmers grow beans for different uses such as leaves, green beans or dry beans.

Annual progress report 2013: CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Systems (Dryland Systems)

Due to recurring droughts and severe overgrazing, Jordan’s dry rangelands are exceptionally prone to degradation. Establishing both restoration and sustainable rangeland management practices are crucial to reverse the negative impacts on the ecosystem. However, a primary estimate of the native baseline’s water and sediment fluxes is essential to properly target a sustainable transition from degraded to a potentially revegetated landscape status.