Advancing Research, Enabling Communities (AREC) Dr. M. Haidar, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Advancing Research, Enabling Communities

(AREC)

• Dr. M. Haidar, AREC Director

February 7, 2018

AREC

Multi-functional and inter- disciplinary center devoted to teaching, research, training and outreach activities.

AREC

• Established in 1953
• Located in the Beq’aa valley-

Haouch Sneid

• 80 km East of Beirut
• Area is 100ha
• Semi-arid climate
• 1,000 m above sea level

AREC

AREC offers a unique real-life model for disseminating knowledge and innovation and for experimenting and applying agricultural research at a real- scale model.

Mission Statement

• Providing
• pportunities

for agriculture students to obtain practical experience (Hands-on experience) in in all activities and practices pertaining to the agricultural operation at AREC.

• Providing facilities for faculty

members & graduate students to conduct field research and

• ut reach activities

Existing Facilities

Facilities for Students and Professors

• Lecture hall, 2 classrooms & labs.
• Cafeteria & dormitories
• 2 guest houses and a villa

Existing Facilities

Facilities for Students and Professors

• Recreation & sport facilities
• Library
• Cafeteria
• Clinic

Existing Facilities

Facilities for Research

• 70 ha of research plots
• 2 controlled greenhouses
• Tissue culture lab
• 2 controlled environmental

poultry houses

• Weather station
• Creamery

• 4ha No-till plots-demo/research
• Workshop and 42 tractors and

implements

• Cattle, goat and sheep barns

Existing Facilities

Facilities for Research

Major Activities at AREC

Teaching, training, research and outreach activities

Teaching

• Agricultural students taking

classes, living, and working at the center.

• An opportunity for experiential

learning, training and research for agricultural students from Lebanon and the region.

Teaching

• Students participate in all

activities and practices pertaining to the agricultural operation on daily basis.

• I believe that experiential

learning can hardly be imagined without AREC.

Research

One of AREC’s main objectives is to facilitate relevant, innovative, applied and adaptive research, which can be easily translated into improved practices.

Major research

• Straw-ponic for potato production
• Apple production under netting

systems.

• Crop selection, conservation and

improvement

Major research

• Aqauponic-Integrating aquaculture with

agriculture to use water better.

• Poultry nutrition.
• Management of Mycoplasma

gallisepticum in poultry flocks through nutritional manipulation.

• Management of parasitic weeds

Major research

• Water requirements of Origanum

using smart irrigation.

• Modeling greenhouse

evapotranspiration from outdoor environment.

• Using AREC weather station to

determine reference ET and map actual ET across the Bekaa.

• Water productivity of no-till mulched

potato.

Training

AREC provides training in:

• Production of vegetable crops by

Hydroponic

• Production of vegetable crops by

aquaponic (Tilapia fish).

• Cheese/yogurt/ice cream

production.

• Mushroom production.

• Conservation agriculture-10

years demo plot-Leading center in the region. ie.,summer school for 40 Arab students in 2012.

• Production of broiler by using

green energy from biodigester and solar panels. Thanks to the MSFEA, namely Dr. D. Salam.

Training

Training

• Saffron production and

management.

• Layer and broiler production

and management

Training

• Oil extraction of aromatic

plants.

• Farm machinery repair and

maintenance.

• Production and

management of vegetables, crops and fruits, indoors and outdoors.

• Seed drill and boom

sprayer calibration. .

Services to AUB community

• Numerous centers at AUB are taking advantage
• f AREC not restricted to agriculture. Things like

climate change, drought, water management, public health, etc.

• AREC is reaching out more than ever to support

local needs including Syrian refugees, collaborating with AUB’s CCECS.

• CCECS-WFP Digital Skills

Training Program-Syrian and Lebanese young adults, were trained on basic digital literacy, internet literacy, MS Office programs, MS Excel, Photoshop, and English.

Services to AUB community

Partnership

• ICARDA- ICARDA’s activities

have increased at AREC to produce specialized, drought resistant seeds.

• Increased collaboration with the

private sector, including sharing equipment and expertise. Ie., Unifert is using land for their vegetable seed trial/field day.

Outreach activities

• All types of workshops, seminars,

field days were held at AREC in the last many years.ie.,

• One year Technical Vocational

Training program funded by

• USAID. Intended to provide in-

service training for agricultural government employees

Outreach activities

• USAID-Funded Dairy and

forage projects. Various training sessions were held for farmers

• n cattle management and

forage production.

• Various NGOs and others such

as YMCA, Makhzoumi foundation, ILO, Mercy Corps, ESCWA, etc use AREC for their

• utreach activities.

Services to the local community

• AREC provides all types of agricultural
• perations at a feasible cost.
• Lease land to the farmers at a feasible cost.
• Invite them to field days.
• Purchase most of our supplies from the

surrounding area.

Visitors

• Various school students from

the surrounding area and AUB community visit AREC every year.

• AREC Day and Sweet Corn

Day attract around 1500 visitors from AUB every year.

Conclusion

AREC remains one of the region’s leading academic centers catering to the needs of students, faculty, researchers and communities and addressing some of the most pressing issues of our time, including environment, development and the sustainability of rural development.

Thank you