Emerging Research in Alternative Crops
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Many regions in the world are suffering from water scarcity, soil and water salinization and climate change. These conditions make it difficult to achieve food security by cultivating conventional crops. A renaissance of interest for producing alternative crops under water scarcity and water salinization has been, therefore, implemented primarily among small-scale producers, researchers and academics.
The use of alternative crops (quinoa, amaranth, legume crops, halophytes, ...etc.) may provide some environmental benefits such as valorization of salt-affected soils, reduced pesticide application, enhanced soil and water quality and promotion of wildlife diversity. This also may provide some economic benefits such as providing the opportunity for producers to take advantage of new markets and premium prices, spreading the economic risk and strengthening local economies and communities.
Furthermore, alternative crops are often rich in proteins and minerals, and even some of them are Gluten free (quinoa). This reflects their importance to achieve food security in quantity and quality scale. The year 2013 was exceptional for alternative crops as it was the international year of quinoa celebrated by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This reflects the importance of research conducted on quinoa and other alternative crops in many regions of the world.
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Abdelaziz Hirich is a research scientist at ICBA center in UAE. He received his PhD in Agronomic Science at the University HASSAN II in Casablanca, Morocco. Dr. Hirich has worked after his PhD as a consultant in EU funded GLOBAQUA project and as a scientist in ICBA center. He is interested in irrigation management, reuse of treated wastewater, salinity, and climate change. Dr. Hirich has published about 17 journal papers. He has developed a large knowledge on irrigation and fertigation scheduling and management as well as the reuse of treated wastewater especially in dry areas. He worked on the introduction of quinoa in Morocco within the EU funded SWUPMED project (2009-2013) where he adapted quinoa to the southern Morocco conditions and tested its response to deficit irrigation and salinity. Hirich has also conducted several training, SALTMED training in Oxford-UK, Agricultural policies in Bari-Italy. He worked also as a consultant for several private study companies in irrigation project design, capacity building training and other agriculture related project. Dr. Hirich is collaborating with two senior scientists to publish this edited volume with Springer; Prof. Redouane Choukr-Allah and Prof. Ragab Ragab.
Redouane Choukr-Allah is a soil and water environmental expert with more than 25 years of experience in coordinating and managing field-based projects and technical teams involved in site specific activities. Prof. Choukr-Allah has extensive experience in use of saline water and the use of pre-treated sewage in agriculture, and soil and ground water pollution prevention.
Ragab Ragab (former AE of AJGS) is the Head of Water, Soils and Landscapes Group at Centre for Ecology & Hydrology in Oxfordshire, UK. Prof. Ragab is a leader of several projects in the UK and overseas. He is an expert reviewer for the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), International adviser to UNDP, “Brazil National Institute for Salinity Research”, Fortaleza, Brazil, Lecturer at Oxford University, External examiner to various Universities in and outside the UK. Prof. Ragab is recipient of several international awards and reviewer for more than 15 International Journals and evaluator for several funding organizations.
