A workshop, entitled 'Capacity Development for Farm Management Strategies to Improve Crop-Water Productivity using AquaCrop' will be held from 25–29 October 2009 in Cairo, Egypt, to train participants in the practical applications of ‘AquaCrop’, a crop model recently developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
AquaCrop focuses on simulating the attainable yield in response to water which is the key driver for agricultural production and which becomes increasingly the critical factor limiting crop production. The model uses a relatively small number of explicit and mostly intuitive parameters and attempts to balance simplicity, accuracy and robustness.
Through teaching participants how to apply the new model, the course aims to improve their skills in strategic farm management practices toward increasing crop water productivity in rainfed and irrigated production systems.
The workshop is a joint initiative of FAO, the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) hosted by the United Nations University and the Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute (SWERI).
Selection requirements
- Eligible applicants will:
- Have at least 3 years of professional experience in a related field (water resources management, irrigation, extension service on farm water management, research in crop-water relations, teaching in agricultural science)
- Currently be working in a relevant institution or organisation
- Be able to demonstrate opportunities for dissemination of the gained knowledge
- Possess basic computer skills
- Have a good command of English
- Be under the age of 45
Deadline for application: 1st September 2009
More information, including details on how to apply and funding opportunities