Workshop of Thrivability of Arid Agriculture under Changing Environment: Trends and Challenges, supported by the Innovation and Introduction of Oversea Talents Base on Improving Water Use Efficiency in Agriculture (111 Plan), was held on May 11 at the College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering of China Agricultural University (CAU). Seven professors from New Mexico State University (NMSU) participated in the workshop, and a total of 13 experts from NMSU and CAU gave presentations on topics associated with agricultural sustainable development in arid and semiarid areas, including water resources management, hydrological modeling and monitoring, agro-ecological system evolution under climate change, soil reclamation, brackish water irrigation.

Prof. Guanhua Huang gave welcoming remark at the workshop. He welcomed the visitors, and expressed gratitude to those who attended the workshop, and those who helped organize the workshop. Prof. Huang pointed out that region where NMSU locates, just like northwest China, is in arid and semi-arid zones, and both regions face the similar challenges such as water shortage, soil salinization, and climate change. He stressed that the workshop will facilitate the further collaboration between the two institutions, and is of importance in pursuing arid agricultural sustainable development in both regions.

Dr. Rolando Flores, dean of College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences of NMSU first expressed appreciation for professors and students who participated in the workshop, and introduced the faculties, graduate programs, research projects of his college. In a talk titled “The future of agriculture in semiarid regions”, Dr. Flores discussed multiple challenges faced in agricultural sustainable development in arid areas, such as water shortage, diversifying cropping systems, role of sustainable agriculture, labor availability, technology, food waste and loss, etc. He also highlighted the important role of multi-disciplinary approach, new technologies, promoting knowledge and agriculture literacy in realizing the agricultural sustainable development.

The other visitors from NMSU, Prof. Sam Fernald and Manoj Shukla, Assoc Prof. Amy Ganguli, KC Carroll, Assist. Prof. Hatim Geli and Colby Brungard, and Prof. Guanhua Huang, Ping Guo and Xiaomin Mao, Assoc. Prof. Fei Tian and Xiao Zhao, and Ph.D candidate Hui Yang of CAU gave presentations on agriculture water resources allocation, brackish water irrigation, Plant yield and quality responding to water and salt stresses, remote sensing in ET monitoring, etc. during the workshop. Master and Ph.D students, as well as faculties attending the workshop engaged in in-depth discussions associated with the talks during and after the workshop. Prof. Huang gave concluding remarks for workshop, and emphasized the further corroboration between the two institutions on applying for research grants, hosting workshops, and graduate student training focusing on the topic of agricultural sustainable development in arid areas.

Vice president of CAU. Prof. Yuanshi Gong, and Academician of China Academy of Engineering, Prof. Shaozhong Kang, and Vide dean of Collage of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, Prof. Taisheng Du held meeting with the visitors from NMSU after the workshop, and exchanged thoughts on deepen corroboration between the two universities and development of NMSU-CAU Water Science and Engineering Joint Research Center. Some visitors from NMSU will join the field trip to Wuwei Experimental Station on May 13.