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JIM RICHARDSON

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JIM RICHARDSON

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  • Reading DNA testing from an agricultural plant.
    MM6772_0034.jpg
  • The Autumn Corn Festival in Haxtun, Colorado celebrates the areas agriculture by naming Crop Kings.
    Ogallala_20220115_0017.jpg
  • Farming in the Euphrates valley of Syria, the birthplace of agriculture some 10,000 years ago.  Growing and harvesting sesame.
    MM6977_071010_20320.jpg
  • The ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra, once a thriving city with rich agriculture and rich soil.
    MM6977_071008_19039.jpg
  • Farming in the Euphrates valley of Syria, the birthplace of agriculture some 10,000 years ago.  Growing and harvesting sesame.<br />
<br />
Harvesting sesame at Dwerat village was Sawsan Khalawi
    MM6977_071010_20467.jpg
  • Cary Fowler at the Svalbard Global Seed Bank, also known as the "Doomsday" seed bank, in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.  Dug into the frozen mountainside above the town, the seedbank is a last chance repository for millions of seeds, that could be used to restore agriculture should a disaster wipe out many of the plants we depend upon for food.
    MM7753_20100312_0825.jpg
  • Carey Fowler at the "Doomsday" seed bank in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.  Dug into the frozen mountainside above the town, the seedbank is a last chance repository for millions of seeds, that could be used to restore agriculture should a disaster wipe out many of the plants we depend upon for food.
    MM7753_20100311_0269.jpg
  • Carey Fowler at the "Doomsday" seed bank in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.  Dug into the frozen mountainside above the town, the seedbank is a last chance repository for millions of seeds, that could be used to restore agriculture should a disaster wipe out many of the plants we depend upon for food.
    MM7753_20100311_0524.jpg
  • Cary Fowler at the Svalbard Global Seed Bank, also known as the "Doomsday" seed bank, in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.  Dug into the frozen mountainside above the town, the seedbank is a last chance repository for millions of seeds, that could be used to restore agriculture should a disaster wipe out many of the plants we depend upon for food.
    MM7753_20100312_0788.jpg
  • Carey Fowler at the "Doomsday" seed bank in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.  Dug into the frozen mountainside above the town, the seedbank is a last chance repository for millions of seeds, that could be used to restore agriculture should a disaster wipe out many of the plants we depend upon for food.
    MM7753_20100311_0010.jpg
  • The Svalbard Global Seed Bank, also known as the "Doomsday" seed bank, in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.  Dug into the frozen mountainside above the town, the seedbank is a last chance repository for millions of seeds, that could be used to restore agriculture should a disaster wipe out many of the plants we depend upon for food.
    Svalvard Pan I.jpg
  • Carey Fowler at the "Doomsday" seed bank in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.  Dug into the frozen mountainside above the town, the seedbank is a last chance repository for millions of seeds, that could be used to restore agriculture should a disaster wipe out many of the plants we depend upon for food.
    MM7753_20100311_0585.jpg
  • Cary Fowler at the Svalbard Global Seed Bank, also known as the "Doomsday" seed bank, in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.  Dug into the frozen mountainside above the town, the seedbank is a last chance repository for millions of seeds, that could be used to restore agriculture should a disaster wipe out many of the plants we depend upon for food.
    MM7753_20100312_0825.jpg
  • The Autumn Corn Festival in Haxtun, Colorado celebrates the areas agriculture by naming Crop Kings.  This year, for the third year in a row, the Irrigated Corn King was Mark Gueck  He rode in the parade down main street with the other crop kings on a Soil Conservation Service float.  Here he is seen before the parade on the local Coop elevator float put together by a friend.
    Ogallala-20200421-0059.jpg
  • Cary Fowler at the Svalbard Global Seed Bank, also known as the "Doomsday" seed bank, in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.  Dug into the frozen mountainside above the town, the seedbank is a last chance repository for millions of seeds, that could be used to restore agriculture should a disaster wipe out many of the plants we depend upon for food.
    MM7753_20100312_0825.jpg
  • Cary Fowler at the Svalbard Global Seed Bank, also known as the "Doomsday" seed bank, in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.  Dug into the frozen mountainside above the town, the seedbank is a last chance repository for millions of seeds, that could be used to restore agriculture should a disaster wipe out many of the plants we depend upon for food. Giving a tour to a group of Norwegians.
    MM7753_20100313_1121.jpg
  • Cary Fowler at the Svalbard Global Seed Bank, also known as the "Doomsday" seed bank, in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.  Dug into the frozen mountainside above the town, the seedbank is a last chance repository for millions of seeds, that could be used to restore agriculture should a disaster wipe out many of the plants we depend upon for food.
    MM7753_20100312_0667.jpg
  • Carey Fowler at the "Doomsday" seed bank in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.  Dug into the frozen mountainside above the town, the seedbank is a last chance repository for millions of seeds, that could be used to restore agriculture should a disaster wipe out many of the plants we depend upon for food.
    MM7753_20100311_0001.jpg
  • Carey Fowler at the "Doomsday" seed bank in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.  Dug into the frozen mountainside above the town, the seedbank is a last chance repository for millions of seeds, that could be used to restore agriculture should a disaster wipe out many of the plants we depend upon for food.
    MM7753_20100311_0524.jpg
  • Carey Fowler at the "Doomsday" seed bank in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.  Dug into the frozen mountainside above the town, the seedbank is a last chance repository for millions of seeds, that could be used to restore agriculture should a disaster wipe out many of the plants we depend upon for food.
    MM7753_20100311_0524.jpg
  • Carey Fowler at the "Doomsday" seed bank in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.  Dug into the frozen mountainside above the town, the seedbank is a last chance repository for millions of seeds, that could be used to restore agriculture should a disaster wipe out many of the plants we depend upon for food.
    MM7753_20100311_0516.jpg
  • Circles of fresh cut alfalfa follow the patterns of the center pivot irrigation system on a large hay operation near  Garden City, Kansas.  Agricultural production in the area grew up around increased irrigated production of grain and cattle feed.  Now the demands of the cattle industry have outstripped production and the area has become a net importer of cattle feed. Putting up hay in circular pattern because the center pivot leave deep ruts in a circular pattern making it more convenient to cut in a circle.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220187.jpg
  • Circles of fresh cut alfalfa follow the patterns of the center pivot irrigation system on a large hay operation near  Garden City, Kansas.  Agricultural production in the area grew up around increased irrigated production of grain and cattle feed.  Now the demands of the cattle industry have outstripped production and the area has become a net importer of cattle feed. Putting up hay in circular pattern because the center pivot leave deep ruts in a circular pattern making it more convenient to cut in a circle.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220185.jpg
  • Circles of fresh cut alfalfa follow the patterns of the center pivot irrigation system on a large hay operation near  Garden City, Kansas.  Agricultural production in the area grew up around increased irrigated production of grain and cattle feed.  Now the demands of the cattle industry have outstripped production and the area has become a net importer of cattle feed. Putting up hay in circular pattern because the center pivot leave deep ruts in a circular pattern making it more convenient to cut in a circle.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220148.jpg
  • Circles of fresh cut alfalfa follow the patterns of the center pivot irrigation system on a large hay operation near  Garden City, Kansas.  Agricultural production in the area grew up around increased irrigated production of grain and cattle feed.  Now the demands of the cattle industry have outstripped production and the area has become a net importer of cattle feed. Putting up hay in circular pattern because the center pivot leave deep ruts in a circular pattern making it more convenient to cut in a circle.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220101.jpg
  • Circles of fresh cut alfalfa follow the patterns of the center pivot irrigation system on a large hay operation near  Garden City, Kansas.  Agricultural production in the area grew up around increased irrigated production of grain and cattle feed.  Now the demands of the cattle industry have outstripped production and the area has become a net importer of cattle feed. Putting up hay in circular pattern because the center pivot leave deep ruts in a circular pattern making it more convenient to cut in a circle.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220100.jpg
  • Testing for Ug99 wheat stem rust in the field station at Asella, Ethiopia.<br />
<br />
Kulumsa Research Centre, P. O. Box 489, Asella, Ethiopia  Wheat being tested for Ug99 wheat stem rust and other rust diseases at the Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center in Asela, Ethiopia. <br />
<br />
Ug99 is devastating to wheat, leaving the heads with nothing but small, shriveled grain in the otherwise normal looking heads. It was discovered first in Uganda in 1999 and has since been moving east, having recently been found in Yemen.<br />
<br />
The rust is seen as red patches along the stem of the wheat, hence the name.  <br />
<br />
KULUMSA AGRICUTURAL RESEARCH CENTER (KARC) is about 167 km southeast of Addis Ababa. It is located in the Oromiya Regional State in the northeast periphery of the town of Asela, Arsi Zone.
    MM7753_20101029_41501.jpg
  • Circles of fresh cut alfalfa follow the patterns of the center pivot irrigation system on a large hay operation near  Garden City, Kansas.  Agricultural production in the area grew up around increased irrigated production of grain and cattle feed.  Now the demands of the cattle industry have outstripped production and the area has become a net importer of cattle feed. Putting up hay in circular pattern because the center pivot leave deep ruts in a circular pattern making it more convenient to cut in a circle.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220042.jpg
  • Testing for Ug99 wheat stem rust in the field station at Asella, Ethiopia.<br />
<br />
Kulumsa Research Centre, P. O. Box 489, Asella, Ethiopia  Wheat being tested for Ug99 wheat stem rust and other rust diseases at the Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center in Asela, Ethiopia. <br />
<br />
Ug99 is devastating to wheat, leaving the heads with nothing but small, shriveled grain in the otherwise normal looking heads. It was discovered first in Uganda in 1999 and has since been moving east, having recently been found in Yemen.<br />
<br />
The rust is seen as red patches along the stem of the wheat, hence the name.  <br />
<br />
KULUMSA AGRICUTURAL RESEARCH CENTER (KARC) is about 167 km southeast of Addis Ababa. It is located in the Oromiya Regional State in the northeast periphery of the town of Asela, Arsi Zone.
    MM7753_20101029_41771.jpg
  • Circles of fresh cut alfalfa follow the patterns of the center pivot irrigation system on a large hay operation near  Garden City, Kansas.  Agricultural production in the area grew up around increased irrigated production of grain and cattle feed.  Now the demands of the cattle industry have outstripped production and the area has become a net importer of cattle feed. Putting up hay in circular pattern because the center pivot leave deep ruts in a circular pattern making it more convenient to cut in a circle.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220107.jpg
  • Morning views from Steptoe Butte of the agricultural lands of the Palouse.  The Palouse of Washigton is an area of loess hills built out of wind-blown dust.  High hills are extremely fertile, with exceptional production of dryland wheat.
    MM6977_070627_04151.jpg
  • Testing for Ug99 wheat stem rust in the field station at Asella, Ethiopia.<br />
<br />
Kulumsa Research Centre, P. O. Box 489, Asella, Ethiopia  Wheat being tested for Ug99 wheat stem rust and other rust diseases at the Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center in Asela, Ethiopia. <br />
<br />
Ug99 is devastating to wheat, leaving the heads with nothing but small, shriveled grain in the otherwise normal looking heads. It was discovered first in Uganda in 1999 and has since been moving east, having recently been found in Yemen.<br />
<br />
The rust is seen as red patches along the stem of the wheat, hence the name.  <br />
<br />
KULUMSA AGRICUTURAL RESEARCH CENTER (KARC) is about 167 km southeast of Addis Ababa. It is located in the Oromiya Regional State in the northeast periphery of the town of Asela, Arsi Zone.
    MM7753_20101029_41771.jpg
  • Testing for Ug99 wheat stem rust in the field station at Asella, Ethiopia.<br />
<br />
Kulumsa Research Centre, P. O. Box 489, Asella, Ethiopia  Wheat being tested for Ug99 wheat stem rust and other rust diseases at the Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center in Asela, Ethiopia. <br />
<br />
Ug99 is devastating to wheat, leaving the heads with nothing but small, shriveled grain in the otherwise normal looking heads. It was discovered first in Uganda in 1999 and has since been moving east, having recently been found in Yemen.<br />
<br />
The rust is seen as red patches along the stem of the wheat, hence the name.  <br />
<br />
KULUMSA AGRICUTURAL RESEARCH CENTER (KARC) is about 167 km southeast of Addis Ababa. It is located in the Oromiya Regional State in the northeast periphery of the town of Asela, Arsi Zone.
    MM7753_20101029_41501.jpg
  • Anatoliy Bruznitsky with the largest herd of ostriches in Ukraine and Russia, at the Agro-Soyuz farm enterprise in Dnipropetrovsk Province, UKRAINE.
    MM8154_20131014_15711.jpg
  • Seed Savers Exchange is one of the oldest and largest heirloom seed conservation organizations in the world. <br />
Since 1975, Seed Savers Exchange members have passed on approximately one million samples of rare garden seeds to other gardeners. The non-profit organization of gardeners is dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds.
    MM7753_20100903_34175.jpg
  • Drew Rivers on Full Belly Farm, California.
    USAgriculture_0004.jpg
  • Local wheat varieties in test plants at the Ejere Farming Community Seed Bank in Ejere, Ethiopia. It was built by Ethio Organic Seed Action to help farmers regain traditional local varieties of grain that are better adapted to their location. Seed bank members donate seeds and in turn get seeds from the seed bank. Regassa Feyissa with EOSA is one of the founders and promoters of the seed bank and helps the local farmers. <br />
<br />
The big variety of wheat varieties are important to maintaining biodiversity in the crop and because of how different varieties respond to varying climate and weather patterns from year to year.
    MM7753_20101030_42091.jpg
  • Planting onions in India.
    IN-0006 Seeds.jpg
  • Seed Savers Exchange is one of the oldest and largest heirloom seed conservation organizations in the world. <br />
Since 1975, Seed Savers Exchange members have passed on approximately one million samples of rare garden seeds to other gardeners. The non-profit organization of gardeners is dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds.
    MM7753_20100904_35760.jpg
  • The Ejere Farming Community Seed Bank in Ejere, Ethiopia was built by Ethio Organic Seed Action to help farmers regain traditional local varieties of grain that are better adapted to their location. Seed bank members donate seeds and in turn get seeds from the seed bank. Regassa Feyissa with EOSA is one of the founders and promoters of the seed bank and helps the local farmers. <br />
<br />
The germplasm reserve saves a wide variety of crops that may not be grown every year and acts as a safety net in case of crop failure. <br />
<br />
Farmers seen in the seed bank with Regassa are Taddesse Retta, chair of the Farmer Conservator Association and Eshetu Badada, the treasurer.
    MM7753_20101030_42477.jpg
  • Drew Rivers on Full Belly Farm, California.
    USAgriculture_0004.jpg
  • Seed Savers Exchange is one of the oldest and largest heirloom seed conservation organizations in the world. <br />
Since 1975, Seed Savers Exchange members have passed on approximately one million samples of rare garden seeds to other gardeners. The non-profit organization of gardeners is dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds.
    MM7753_20100903_32356.jpg
  • Woman with baby harvesting potatoes  on organic farm in Maine.
    USAgriculture_0018.jpg
  • Soils in Syria. Villages in the Khanasser Valley where the soil is poor and there is little water.
    MM6977_071006_18476.jpg
  • The worst erosion on Earth is seen in the deeply gullied hills of the Loess plateau in Shaanxi province of chinaHeavy soil erosion of the Loess Plateau in the Yuan Yang distirict, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, China. Zhang Yulan farms with her husband in the village of Yin Jai Yan in the county of Liu Quian He county, Yuan Yang distirict, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province.
    MM6977_071020_23799.jpg
  • Farmers in the Baoshanzhai area of  Yuanyang County, harvest the rice from their terraces, threshing the grain as they go along.  Yunan Province, China.Zhu Minying farms with her family in Yuanyang County, growing rice on the terraced fields in the Baoshanzhai area.
    MM6977_071020_22677.jpg
  • Soil profile of Mediterranian soil at ICARDA on the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria.<br />
<br />
Contact:  John Ryan of ICARDA<br />
ICARDA, Tel Hadya, <br />
(963-21)2213433, Ext 741<br />
Home:  +9639 21 2662481<br />
j.ryan@cgiar.org
    MM6977_071009_20155.jpg
  • Sandhill Cranes take off from a field along the Platte River, Nebraska.  Water levels in the Platte River depend on the High Plains Aquifer to maintain flow in the river.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220248.jpg
  • Celebrating windmills at Windmill Country Days in Hyannis, Nebraska.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220209.jpg
  • Two farmers were digging out this center pivot irrigation system just east of Portales, NM that has been burried in the sand for seven years.  In this area of sand hills combined with high spring winds (and no ground cover on fields) sand dunes can form very quickly.  This area still has good water.
    Ogallala_20220118_0001-Edit-2.jpg
  • Wes Robbins, a Soil Conservationist with the SCS, tests soil moisture using a meter attached to burried gypsum blocks.  The block's conductivity varies with its saturation making the moisture testing possible.  Robbins has encouraged farmers in this arid region of eastern Colorado near Burlington to use the blocks so they can irrigate more effectively.  Robbins is in a low till field under one of the center pivot systems they converted to LEPA (Low Energy Precesion Application) water nozzles.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220261.jpg
  • Thousands of fish lie rotting in the dry Republican River at the headwaters of the Harlan County Reservoir at Alma, Nebraska.  Republican always dries up in the summer as irrigation takes all the water, either through reservoirs for irrigation districts or by pumping the aquifer beneath the river.  Fish were killed when a heavy storm sent water down the river attracting the fish upstream.  Then the river dried up agains just as suddenly stranding the fish.  Fish kills are common along the Republican.  Area is under mandatory groundwater management because of declining supplies.  Nathan and Dave Wolf out to take a look.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220259.jpg
  • Mothers hold up their babies on the main street of Funk, Nebraska.  All these babies, aged about three months, in the tiny town of Funk (Pop. 218) had to get bottled water since the town water was so polluted with nitrates from nitrogen fertilization of corn that they would otherwise get Blue Baby Syndrome.  Funk, and about 30 other towns across Nebraska, had to supply bottled water to any families with infants under six months as long as the towns drinking water exceeds 10 PPM of nitrates.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220254.jpg
  • Earth Theater in Earth, Texas has been painted up real nice to make it look as if it is still in business.  Earth went from population 1512 to 1081 with the 2020 census.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220207.jpg
  • Irrigation system watering corn in the Platte River Valley of Nebraska.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220172.jpg
  • Big Well in Greensburg, Kansas is the World's Largest Hand-Dug Well.  Thirty two feet across and 109 feet deep.  Begun in 1887 by the railroad who abandoned it, at which time the town finished it and used for municipal water for many years.  Has been a tourist attraction for some 60 years.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220163.jpg
  • Dave Searle, project manager for Marathon Oil Company, takes water samples from the companies contamination cleanup site west of Sidney, Nebraska.  Hydrocarbons contaminated the groundwater here porducing benzene concentrations of as high as 150 PPB.  Without acknowledging that their natural gas plant caused the problem, Marathon Oil has undertaken to clean up the groundwater by pumping from 14 wells in the pollution plume and braodcasting the water through a cneter pivot irrigation system.  The Hydrocarbons evaporate into the atmosphere.  Searly is collecting water samples at ground level.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220104.jpg
  • Dust rises from a cattle feedlot in Kansas as cattle milling around kick up huge dust clouds.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220140.jpg
  • Sandhill Cranes gather on the Platte River and in surrounding fields and set meadows during their annual migration north.   The habitat essential for the cranes survival is a mutual product of the Platte River and the High Plains Aquifer.  Some half a million cranes come to this 40 mile stretch of the Platte creating a magnificent spectacle.  The Platte is intimately tied to the High Plains Aquifer, feeding it in some places, drawing water from it in other places.  Additionally the aquifer creates the wet meadows that are essential to the cranes because they feed on invertibrates there.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220178...jpg
  • A crop duster plane flies over a packing plant settling ponds spraying insecticide to kill flies.  Wastewater from the packing plant comes to a series of lined ponds where it is treated and then used to irrigate land, thus assuring that it will not get back into the aquifer and pollute it.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220092.jpg
  • The ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra, once a thriving city.<br />
<br />
Contact:  John Ryan of ICARDA<br />
ICARDA, Tel Hadya, <br />
(963-21)2213433, Ext 741<br />
Home:  +9639 21 2662481<br />
j.ryan@cgiar.org
    MM6977_071008_19039-2.jpg
  • Soils in Syria.  Scenes of the Dead Cities, where ancient Byzantine ruins tell of  prosperous communities that are now abandoned. Soil erosion ended the fertility of the area that supported a large population.<br />
<br />
At the Dead City of Kharrab Shams outside of Aleppo.<br />
<br />
Contact:  John Ryan of ICARDA<br />
ICARDA, Tel Hadya, <br />
(963-21)2213433, Ext 741<br />
Home:  +9639 21 2662481<br />
j.ryan@cgiar.org
    MM6977_071005_17659.jpg
  • The worst erosion on Earth is seen in the deeply gullied hills of the Loess plateau in Shaanxi province of China.  Small fields are all that is left as the erosion whittles away at the land available for crops.
    MM6977_071020_24250.jpg
  • Windmills on the Watson Ranch north of Scottsbluff in the Sandhills of Nebraska are testaments to the precious nature of water on the Great Plains. This rancher erected seven windmills to pump water for his cattle in this Sandhills ranch.
    Ogallala-20200421-0076.jpg
  • A father and son ride their tractor home after a day of work in the fields of their farm in Kansas.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220272.jpg
  • Sunset over irrigated fields in Kansas. This is an older center pivot system that was still spraying water in the air resulting in more evaporation.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220267...jpg
  • Down at the level of the aquifer Tom Fletcher dives in the Big Well in Greensburg, Kansas and holds up glasses that he found on the bottom.  The annual Big Well Treasure Dive brings Fletcher to the small town tourist attraction where visitors have been throwing in coins for 40 years from a platform just above the water.  The well is said to be the World's Largest Hand Dug well, being some 30 feet across and 109 feet deep.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220262.jpg
  • The Platte River in Nebraska is very shallow with main braided channels and sandbars, excellent habitat for Sandhill Cranes making their annual migratin.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220249...jpg
  • Thousands of fish lie rotting in the dry Republican River at the headwaters of the Harlan County Reservoir at Alma, Nebraska.  Republican always dries up in the summer as irrigation takes all the water, either through reservoirs for irrigation districts or by pumping the aquifer beneath the river.  Fish were killed when a heavy storm sent water down the river attracting the fish upstream.  Then the river dried up agains just as suddenly stranding the fish.  Fish kills are common along the Republican.  Area is under mandatory groundwater management because of declining supplies.  Nathan and Dave Wolf out to take a look.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220247.jpg
  • Irrigation system watering corn in the Platte River Valley of Nebraska.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220118.jpg
  • Out on his riding lawnmower to take a look at his irrigation well, 98 year old T.E. Lutrick swings a leg over the steering wheel to get a better look.  Lutrick has farmed here since 1920.  Put this well in in 1936 when  "Everyone thought I was crazy."  Got into irrigation to assure crops in bad years, a common early pattern.  One of the earliest irrigators in the Texas High Plains.  Colorful character.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220112.jpg
  • Center pivot irrigation systems have changed the geometry of fields throughout the American Midwest.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220034.jpg
  • A center pivot irrigation system watering alfalfa in Kansas, usually grown to feed livestock such as dairy cattle.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220029.jpg
  • Keepers from ther Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City, Kansas take the elephants, Moki and Chana, for a swim in the World's Largest Free Municipal Cement Bottom Swimming Pool.  The pool was just closed for the season and since the zoo does not have a pool for the Elephants this is their one bath of the year.  Keepers in swimming with the elephants were Robin Neff and Nick McDaniel.  Up on the bank were Jeff Bullock and Dave Wade.  The Elephants are 10-year-old Africans and have been at the zoo for 8 years.  The zoo gets some 210,000 visitors a year.  On a previous day they had 3,000 people to see the elephants swimmin g.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220064.jpg
  • Ogallala Aquifer water underlying a wet meadow on the Haythorn Ranch in the Sandhills of Nebraska produces a lush crop of hay.   These meadows, where the Haythorns annually put up 1700 stacks of hay using their horses, are said to be "sub-irrigated" by the water table near the surface.  Springs form wherever any little dip reaches the water table. These draft horses are pulliing the hay up the inclined stacker to the top of the haystack.
    Studio Session-010.jpg
  • Children at a special educational summer camp in Lincoln, Nebraska watch a demonstration using an aquifer model. As water is pumped around and "pollution" (colored water) is injected into wells or leaks from lakes they can see how groundwater pollution occurs and spreads.
    Ogallala-20200421-0010.jpg
  • A feedlot cowboy "riding the range" at the Ingalls Feedlot, Ingalls, Kansas.  The innovation of feedlots was to bring the cattle to the feed and thus reduce labor and stress on the cattle producing higher profit margins.  Here you can see the central feed bins with the "alleys" designed for effecient feeding by special feed trucks.  This cowboy said he likes being on the range better but the pay and benefits are better in the feedlots.
    Ogallala_20220115_0023.jpg
  • Harold "JR" Hoskinson at the "riding the range" at the Ingalls Feedlot.  Hoskinson grew up on a farm 15 miles from this feedlot and spend a number of years cowboying (amongst other things).  Now he is the night watchman at the Ingalls Feedlot, part of the Irsik-Doll chain  of cattle operations. The innovation of feedlots was to bring the cattle to the feed and thus reduce labor and stress on the cattle producing higher profit margins.  Here you can see the central feed bins with the "alleys" designed for effecient feeding by special feed trucks.  Hoskinson says he likes being on the range better but the pay and benefits are better in the feedlots, which came in handy two years ago when he lost his voice box to cancer.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220258.jpg
  • Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220147.jpg
  • Wes Robbins with an irrigation system that was converted to LEPA.  Water can be seen being applied very close to the ground so that it does not evaporate.  The nozzles have four settings so that they can used to irrigate or chemigate, i.e. apply chemicals as well as irrigation water.  This particualr type of conversion is one that Robbins helped develop so that farmers can do it at about a third the cost of a commercial conversion.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220060.jpg
  • At the Dead City of Baqerha in the mountains outside of Aleppo.  Properous in Byzantine times and until the 9th or 10th centuries, the Dead Cities fell prey to environmental destruction, first earthquakes, then soil erosion that destroyed any hope of prosperity and full repopulation.<br />
<br />
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In the background can be seen the Dead City of Dargeeta.
    MM6977_071007_18787.jpg
  • Soil scientist and farmer Dave Huggins stands above one of the soils on the Washginton State University research farm outside Pullman, Washington
    MM6977_070628_04857.jpg
  • Li Kaixin family harvesting rice near Sheng Cun Village in Yuanyang County, Yunan province, China.  The grain is threshed in the field before bagging to carry out.  The stalks are laid out to dry in the terraces.
    MM6977_071020_21402.jpg
  • Li Kaixin family harvesting rice near Sheng Cun Village in Yuanyang County, Yunan province, China.  The grain is threshed in the field before bagging to carry out.  The stalks are laid out to dry in the terraces.
    MM6977_071020_20874.jpg
  • Restoration in the Loess Plateau region of China  Wang Chun Jun harvesting potatoes high on the hills above Miao Jia Yan village in Zizhou County where there is a very large restoration project planting date trees.
    MM6977_071020_26826.jpg
  • Soils in Syria.  Scenes of the Dead Cities, where ancient Byzantine ruins tell of  prosperous communities that are now abandoned. <br />
Soil erosion ended the fertility of the area that supported a large population.
    MM6977_071005_17645.jpg
  • Soils in Syria.  Scenes of the Dead Cities, where ancient Byzantine ruins tell of  prosperous communities that are now abandoned. Soil erosion ended the fertility of the area that supported a large population.<br />
At the Dead City of Kharrab Shams outside of Aleppo.<br />
<br />
Contact:  John Ryan of ICARDA<br />
ICARDA, Tel Hadya, <br />
(963-21)2213433, Ext 741<br />
Home:  +9639 21 2662481<br />
j.ryan@cgiar.org
    MM6977_071005_17261.jpg
  • The worst erosion on Earth is seen in the deeply gullied hills of the Loess plateau in Shaanxi province of chinaHeavy soil erosion of the Loess Plateau in the Yuan Yang distirict, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, China. Zhang Yulan farms with her husband in the village of Yin Jai Yan in the county of Liu Quian He county, Yuan Yang distirict, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province.
    MM6977_071020_23799.jpg
  • Li Kaixin family harvesting rice near Sheng Cun Village in Yuanyang County, Yunan province, China.  The grain is threshed in the field before bagging to carry out.  The stalks are laid out to dry in the terraces.
    MM6977_071020_21594.jpg
  • Irrigation system watering corn in the Platte River Valley of Nebraska.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220181.jpg
  • Side Roll Irrigation System watering crop, Texas
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220179.jpg
  • Low energy precision irrigation (LEPA) nozzles watering a field in Kansas. Such nozzles save water by applying wth water close to the ground, rather than spraying it into the air which can cause great losses due to evaporation of precious Ogallala Aquifer water.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220171.jpg
  • Water bubbles and gushes from a "Boiling Spring" on Birdwood Creek near North Platte, Nebraska in the Sandhills.  Water is welling up from the aquifer in the Sandhills.  In the vertical exposure of sand some 50 to 60 feed high above the spring you can see both water born sediments (below) and wind born sand dunes (above.)  In the background is Hydrologist Jim Goeke.<br />
Interstingly, the springs vary in the output depending on atmospheric conditions, dying down with high pressure and going wild with low preasure.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220149.jpg
  • Down at the level of the aquifer Tom Fletcher dives in the Big Well in Greensburg, Kansas and holds up glasses that he found on the bottom.  The annual Big Well Treasure Dive brings Fletcher to the small town tourist attraction where visitors have been throwing in coins for 40 years from a platform just above the water.  The well is said to be the World's Largest Hand Dug well, being some 30 feet across and 109 feet deep.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220133.jpg
  • Big model of a Hereford cow at Beef Empire Days, Garden City, Kansas
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220067.jpg
  • Children take a ride down Main Street in the shadow of the town water tower in Petersburg, Texas on their way to see thier babysitters mother at the local newspaper.  Petersburg, like many other High Plains towns has lost a lot of population.  They have tried to keep empty buildings torn down to keep main street looking better.  The lot where the kids are riding was a store at one time.  Petersburg has a population of about 1200.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220057.jpg
  • Dr. Robert Lascano doing research on soil moisture evaporation at the Texas A&M Research Farm north of lubbock.  Lascano has found that soil moisture evaporation is greatly reduced on ground that has wheat stubble left on it.  Cotton planted in the stubble (right of picture) is, on average, 3" higher than cotton planted in bare ground (left) because the added portection from wind and added moisture gave it a better head start.  (Plants and positioning were chosen to give fair representation of overall field conditions.  His stick is approximately 3" above lower plants.)  In foreground is sophisticated soil moisture meter.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220038.jpg
  • Wes Robbins with an irrigation system that was converted to LEPA.  Water can be seen being applied very close to the ground so that it does not evaporate.  The nozzles have four settings so that they can used to irrigate or chemigate, i.e. apply chemicals as well as irrigation water.  This particualr type of conversion is one that Robbins helped develop so that farmers can do it at about a third the cost of a commercial conversion.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220018.jpg
  • An approaching thunderstorm in the Sandhills of Nebraska brings rain and lightning bolts to the vast grasslands. Such storms dump water onto the porous sandhills, which store vast quantities of the High Plains Aquifer water.
    JAMES C RICHARDSON_05891_476182.jpg
  • Obsolete center pivot irrigation systems piled up on a junkyard, remnants of older irrigation technology. New systems save water rendering the old systems uneconomical. The energy cost of pumping water from declining well levels makes it imperative to use the most water-efficient technology.
    Ogalla Aquifer Camera Scans 20220099.jpg
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