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On the occasion of World Environment Day 2006, commemorated on Monday, 5 June 2006 as part of the United Nations’ International Year of Deserts and Desertification, CropLife International reminds the international community of the critical role plant science technologies play in helping to address the challenges of desertification for agricultural production.

“To deal with this critical problem, we are advocating agricultural practices and technologies that conserve soil and water,” said Christian Verschueren, Director General. “Our products and technologies are delivering a range of important environmental benefits, such as decreased soil erosion, more efficient use of water, increased biodiversity and better air quality – all critical to helping combat the problems for agriculture caused by desertification.”

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), desertification affects one third of the earth’s surface and over a billion people. Moreover, it has potentially devastating consequences in terms of social and economic costs.

The plant science industry is working with researchers and farming communities throughout the world to assist in the development and dissemination of location-specific, sustainable technologies and practices to combat the challenges of agricultural production in deserts and drylands. These are already demonstrating marked economic and environmental benefits for small, medium and large farms in the developing and developed world alike.

Some examples of crop management or crop research strategies to combat desertification and drought include:

Limiting or eliminating soil tillage in agriculture (no-till agriculture) improves the land's ability to capture and retain moisture. This practice is enabled through the use of herbicides, and where possible, herbicide-tolerant crops, to manage weeds and increase production. As a result of no-till practices, farmers in many countries optimise their yields and are better off than farmers who did not use this practice. To date, nearly 60 million hectares worldwide are under low or no tillage. In Ghana, no-till farmers have obtained maize yields 45% higher than farmers who did not use this practice during normal years. In dry years, the yields can be around 50% higher. More information on these innovative farming techniques can be found in CropLife International's report Conservation Technologies and the Plant Science Industry: Managing Natural Resources Sustainably (http://www.croplife.org/conservationtechnologies).

Enhanced crop varieties help plants economise water consumption. It is estimated that the accumulated damage to a crop from stresses such as drought and heat can reduce yields by 30-70%. Drought-tolerant plants may substantially decrease a crop's water needs and result in less water consumption. Both the public and private sector are involved in research to develop new crop varieties, bred traditionally or through plant biotechnology.

Herbicides also help increase a crop's access to water, by reducing the weeds that compete for moisture and use of scarce water resources - resulting in "more crop per drop."

By engaging in partnerships, the plant science industry's stewardship activities seek ensure good agricultural practices that reduce soil erosion, avoiding run-off of crop protection products, and increase wildlife habitat as part of a holistic farm or land management approach.

“Drylands represent some 40% of the Earth’s surface. The plant science industry supplies the important products and technologies necessary to make agricultural production in dry habitats viable and manageable,” said Dr. Verschueren. “For most dryland dwellers, life is hard and the future often precarious. It is essential that we do not neglect them or the fragile habitats on which they depend."