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Watershed management (WSM) is the most widely adopted technology in developed as well as developing countries due to its suitability across climatic conditions. Watershed technology is suitable to protect and enhance soil fertility, which is deteriorating at an alarming rate with agricultural intensification in high as well as low rainfall regions. Of late, WSM is considered as an effective poverty alleviation intervention in the rain fed regions in countries like India. This paper aims at providing a basic watershed policy and implementation framework based on a critical review of experiences of WSM initiatives across South Asia. The purpose is to provide cross learnings within South Asia and other developing countries (especially Africa) that are embarking on WSM in recent years. Countries in the region accord differential policy priority and are at different levels of institutional arrangements for implementing WSM programmes. The implementation of watershed interventions is neither scientific nor comprehensive in all the countries limiting the effectiveness (impacts). Implementation of the programmes for enhancing the livelihoods of the communities need to strengthen both technical and institutional aspects. While countries like India and Nepal are yet to strengthen the technical aspects in terms of integrating hydrogeology and biophysical aspects into watershed design, others need to look at these aspects as they move towards strengthening the watershed institutions. Another important challenge in all the countries is regarding the distribution of benefits. Due to the existing property rights in land and water resources coupled with the agrarian structure and uneven distribution and geometry of aquifers access to sub-surface water resources is unevenly distributed across households. Though most of the countries are moving towards incorporating livelihoods components in order to ensure benefits to all sections of the community, not much is done in terms of addressing the equity aspects of WSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation has been carried out under ZECC conditions located at the research farm of agriculture faculty of Kabul University, Afghanistan. The objective was to understand the effect of postharvest treatments and harvesting stages on the shelf life and sensory quality of tomato fruits. It was found that both main factors had a significant effect and the highest shelf life noted for the fruits of H1 (turning color stage) and D1 (dipped in 6 % CaCl2 solution) was 26.19 and 25.17 days, respectively. At the end of the storage period, the final evaluation average scores for overall sensory attributes of turning color fruits were higher whereas it was noted lower for light red color fruits compared with initial scores. The highest scores for all attributes such as color, flesh texture, flavor, and overall acceptance were noted for the fruits of H1 and D1 respectively. Thus, the turning color stage has seen as a suitable harvesting stage and then followed by pink color stage of the tomatoes of the Pearson variety that could be considered for various purposes after storage respectively. The 6 % CaCl2 solution could increase tomatoes shelf life and maintain the quality that it had retained the fruits sensory attributes to an acceptable level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Afghanistan is a net importer of wheat which is the staple food in the country. In order to improve the levels of food sufficiency, prevailing large yield gaps in wheat need to be reduced. This study assessed the reasons/factors influencing low wheat productivity and/or large yield gaps in different production systems in five major wheat-producing provinces in Afghanistan using a stochastic frontier production function model. The results indicated that the mean technical efficiency of wheat farmers was 0.67, and there was clear scope to improve wheat production by 33% in the short run with the same level of inputs. The potential yield gap could be reduced if adoption of good agricultural practices such as the use of improved wheat varieties with recommended seed rates was promoted through more effective transfer of technologies (training and extension) in the target provinces. Such efforts would help improve domestic wheat production and reduce dependency on wheat imports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]