Overview of field experiments

Table of Contents

1. The monitoring strategy of WB4
2. Breakdown and overview of site activities
   1. Overview of desertification problems
   2. Overview of SLM technologies in DESIRE
   3. Overview of the monitoring techniques
   4. Analysis of results
3. Annex 1 - Overview of WOCAT SLM Technologies QT 9 Specification

Overview of desertification problems

Table 1 gives an overview of the desertification problems at the locations that are investigated, summarized in one sentence. This information is included here for completeness and understanding. More detailed information about the sites can be found on the HIS (www.desire-his.eu). The majority of sites have a problem with soil erosion by water and drought. While erosion is more a long term problem, associate by the stakeholder to a slow loss of fertile soil leading to a decline in yield and yield quality. Drought is a much more acute problem, experienced often and leading to harvest failure. Technical solutions such as irrigation systems do not always work or are applied wrongly (Nestos basin, Russian sites), causing water logging, salinization and even erosion.

Most sites with erosion concentrate on making flow barriers or terrace like structures (Turkey, Cape Verde), or protecting the surface (Crete). Most sites with drought problems concentrate on water harvesting techniques, sometimes using or reviving traditional methods (Spain, Tunisia). Others try new solutions such as collection of snow melt (Russia), minimum tillage (Morocco, Chile), collection ditches (Chile, China).