Supplemental Irrigation in the Near East and North Africa

This book is the product of an ICARDA project to define supplemental irrigation in the Near East and North Africa. In cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (F AO) a meeting was held in Rabat, Morocco, on 7-9 December 1987, entitled "Regional Consultation on Supplemental Irrigation"; specialists from 11 different countries were brought together to discuss priorities for supplemental irrigation within their specific regions. The participants were asked to focus on developing an information base using both primary data, results of surveys administered to district level agricultural personnel, and secondary data sources with a particular interest in the application of state-of-the-art knowledge and technology to the problems of supplemental irrigation. The authors have willingly and thankfully responded to the suggestions and criticisms of Ms Kate Ward, Institute of Irrigation Studies, Department of Civil of Southampton, U. K. , who accepted the soporific Engineering, University position of Review Editor and performed miracles. Chapter 2 and parts of chapters 15 and 16 are a partial rendering of a forthcoming book on systems analysis by Janice R. Perrier. The authors recognize the inclusion of this material which outlines the basic philosophical perspective of supplemental irrigation as utilized in the book. The assistance of Mr. Maurice Saade, Agricultural Economist is greatly appreciated for the understanding of Chapter 14. The section on the phenology of cereals near the end of chapter 4 was written by Mr.