1a.Objectives (from AD-416)
Extend and expand the services of the USDA/ARS in support of the Middle East peace process multilateral program to foster Israeli-Arab cooperation through the Irrigation Management Information System (IMIS) project for Efficient Water Use in the Middle East to include Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian partners, the new activities described in this agreement will augment the ongoing project by supporting cooperators to study essential elements of irrigated agriculture which are pertinent to water conservation in the Middle East. The IMIS project includes an infrastructure and human capacity that requires regional cooperation and promotes regular interaction among the cooperating partners.

1b.Approach (from AD-416)
• Provide the resources to maintain the IMIS website; allocate resources for the website maintenance and improvement.

• Maintain the regional database system for the agro-meteorological information, providing data for scheduling irrigation and other crop management decisions to increase irrigation efficiency in the region.

• Provide maintenance for the automated weather stations, and lysimeters to continue to improve water management models and irrigation scheduling practices at both the field and watershed scale in the Middle East.

• Apply irrigation scheduling methodology on farmer’s fields; and through interaction with farmers, farm advisors and extension personnel, promote the implementation of the IMIS system to ensure wide acceptance and sustainability.

3.Progress Report

This report serves to document activities conducted under a reimbursable agreement with the U.S. Department of State. Work is conducted in partnership between ARS, the Arab Agronomist Association (AAA), West Bank, the Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) –Volcani Center, and Jordan’s Ministry of Agriculture. Technical direction is provided by 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 work to establish the technological and human infrastructure required to achieve long-term sustained water conservation in the Middle East and the USA. The ADODR and cooperating scientists provided oversight by meeting with counterparts, visiting work sites in the region and via email and telephone discussions. This agreement replaces 0210-22310-002-96R, and the annual report has been provided under that project (accession number 411432)

Reports for the individual projects can be found under accession numbers: 409263 (Arab Agronomists Association), 415243 (El Hawakeer-Assc Comm Ag Env Dev); 414887 (NCARE-Jordan); 414885 (Agricultural Development Association – PARC).