Personal data

 

Name : Riad BALAGHI

Date of birth : 7 June 1964

Place of birth : Casablanca - Morocco

Nationalities : Moroccan and Lebanese

Address : Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, BP. 578, Meknès 50000, Morocco

Telephone : Office: + 212 35 30 02 43

Fax : + 212 35 30 02 44

E-mail : riad.balaghi@gmail.com

Marital status: Married, 2 children

 

Education

Ph. D

Liège University, Arlon-Belgium; 2006. Ph.D. in environmental sciences.

M. Sc.

Fondation Universitaire Luxembourgeoise, Arlon-Belgium; 2000. Diploma in environmental sciences.

M. Sc.

IAV Hassan II, Rabat-Morocco; 1991. Diploma of agronomy engineer.

Languages

Arabic (native speaker), French (excellent), English (good), Spanish (slight).

 

Summary of experience

Agronomist and agro-climatologist during the last fourteen years. Strong experience in crop-soil-weather simulation models (AgroMetShell, SOIL, SIMTAG), early crop yield forecasting models, drought monitoring, vegetation monitoring, agro-climatic characterization (probability analysis, distribution fitting, Standardized Precipitation Index, Palmer Drought Severity Index, Length of the Growing Period, agro-climatic zoning). Familiar with survey-based and remote-based agricultural statistics and related statistical analysis procedures (area surveying methods, photo interpretation and classification). Solid background in Geographic Information Systems, remote sensing, satellite imagery and applied statistical analysis (regression models, analysis of variance, clustering, change point analysis, trend analysis, artificial neural network analysis, spatial analysis, jackknifing, bootstrapping and cross-validation). Field research experience in conservation agriculture, soil water modelling and in situ agrobiodiversity conservation. Experience in designing and creating open-source WebGIS systems, for the maintenance and the dissemination of official agricultural statistics and satellite imagery.

 

Major achievements

Successful results in the development of early wheat yield prediction models at national and provincial scales Morocco, intended for policy-makers as decision support tools. These models were developed for the high risky environments of Morocco, especially drought risks. Agro-climatic characterization of Morocco in relation with cereal potentialities and adaptation.

 

Involvement in international projects

  • Coordinator of the INRA-JRC crop forecasting research agreement.
  • Member of INRA (Morocco) – IBIMET (Italy) project on “Operational tools to assess climatic risk of Mediterranean agricultural areas”. (link)
  • Site coordinator of the “Integrated Natural Resources Management” INRA/ICARDA project;
  • Member of “ClimagriMed” UCEA/FAO project;
  • Member of "Strengthening the scientific basis of in situ conservation of agricultural biodiversity" INRA/IPGRI project;
  • Member of the "Mediterranean Highlands Agricultural Research" (EEC/ICARDA) project;

  • Member of "Package for Agro-ecological Characterization” IDRC/ICARDA project.

Current position

Coordinator of Agronomy and Plant Physiology Research Unit at the Regional Centre of INRA, in Meknès. Engineer-in-Chief level at National Institute for Agronomic Research (INRA-Morocco), with fifteen years experience, since 1 September 1992. 

 

Computer skills

  • Statistical analysis: SAS, STATISTICA;
  • Geographic Information Systems: ArcView/GIS, Envi, Erdas Imagine, Surfer;
  • General: MS Office, MS Windows. 

Publications

Balaghi, R., Tychon, B., Eerens, H., Jlibene, M., 2007. Empirical regression models using NDVI, rainfall and temperature data for the early prediction of wheat grain yields in Morocco. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation. In press.  doi:10.1016/j.jag.2006.12.001

Balaghi, R., Tychon, B., Jlibene, M., Mrabet, R., 2007. Gestion du risque de sécheresse agricole au Maroc. Sécheresse 18, 169-176.

Gommes, R., Haripada, D., Mariani, L., Challinor, A., Tychon, B., Balaghi, R., Dawod, M.A.A. (2007) Chapter 5: Agrometeorological forecasting, Guide To Agricultural Meteorological Practices (GAMP n°135), Geneva, Switzerland:, World Meteorological Organization, In Press (bookchapter). http://www.wmo.ch/pages/prog/wcp/agm/gamp/gamp_en.html

 

Balaghi, R., Tychon, B., Eerens, H., Jlibene, M., 2006. Crop yield forecast with NOAA and SPOT-VEGETATION data in Morocco. ISPRS Archives XXXVI-8/W48 Workshop proceedings: Remote sensing support to crop yield forecast and area estimates. http://agrifish.jrc.it/marsstat/meetings/STRESA_papers/RS_STRESA_3.htm

 

Balaghi, R., El Asri, M., Alilou, F., 2006. Carte des zones favorables aux tabacs Brun, Burley et Virginie. INRA, Maroc.  (download preview map)

Balaghi. R., 2006. Wheat grain yield forecasting models for food security in Morocco, University of Liège, Belgium. (Ph.D. Thesis), 103 pp. (download document)

 

Jlibene, M., Balaghi, R., Douimi, R., 2003. A practical approach, for developing wheat yields prediction models in Morocco, based on data from rainfall and major biotic and abiotic stresses. Ispra: European Agro-phenology Meeting, 4-5th December, 2003.

 

Tychon, B., Balaghi, R., Jlibene, M., 2002. Risk water management in agricultural water use. In: Water source of food security. Prospects for agricultural water use in the 21st Century. International Electronic Conference organized by the Land and Water Development Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Roma, Italy. http://www.fao.org/ag/agl/aglw/wsfs/index.stm

ftp://ftp.fao.org/agl/aglw/docs/unlocking_e.pdf

 

Balaghi, R. 2000. Suivi de l'évolution des réserves en eau sous culture de blé en région semi-aride marocaine: Calibration et utilisation du modèle "SOIL". Diplôme d'Etudes Approfondies. Fondation Universitaire Luxembourgeoise, Arlon-Belgium.  (download document)

Balaghi, R., 2000. Agrosystem factors: data collection and analysis. In: Jarvis D., Sthapit B., Sears L.. Conserving agricultural biodiversity In Situ: A scientific basis for sustainable agriculture. International Plant Genetic resources Institute, Roma, Italy. pp. 31-35. http://www.ipgri.cgiar.org/Publications/HTMLPublications/541/index.htm

 

Achtar, S., Arias-Reyes, L.M. Balaghi, R. Balma, D. De, N.N. Ellis, E. Fanissi, D. Paudel, C.L. Rijal, D. Rogriguez, J. Teshome, A., 2000. Agroecosystem factors: natural and farmer managed. In: D.I. Jarvis, H. Klemick, B. Sthapit, M. Sadiki, L. Guarino and L. Myer. A Training Guide to In Situ Conservation On-farm. IPGRI, Italy.

http://www.bioversityinternational.org/Publications/In%5FSitu%5FConservation%5FOn%5FFarm/

Balaghi, R., El Mourid, M., Jlibene, M., 1994. Evaluation of "Simulation Model for Triticum Aestivum Genotypes" through the simulation of potential yield for Meknès, Douyet and Annoceur. In. Workshop Agro-ecological characterization. ICARDA, Aleppo, Syria, 19-22 April 1994.

 

Boughlala, M., Balaghi, R., El Mourid, M., 1994. Validation et utilisation du modèle MULTISIM simulateur des distributions de rendements. In : INRA, (Editors). Journée d'Information sur les Recherches Agricoles. Outils d'aide à la décision et rentabilité de la recherche en agriculture aléatoire. Rabat : Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, pp. 7-21.

 

Ouattar, S., Balaghi, R., Ameziane, T.E., 1992. Fiches techniques pour la conduite céréalière dans les Abda-Ahmar (Maroc).

Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la Réforme Agraire, Maroc.

Training

  • Certificate of “Testing and Application of Information and Decision Support Tools in Agricultural Production”/IFDC, Morocco; 2004.
  • Certificate of Advanced Short Course on "Water use efficiency of crops"/CIHEAM-IAMB, Morocco; 1999.
  • Certificate of “Advanced Statistical Analysis of Multi-locational Variety Trials”/INRA-ICARDA, Syria; 1997.
  • Certificate of “Advanced Short Course on Biometeorology and Micrometeorology"/CNR-CIHEAM-University of Sassari, Italy; 1995.

 

Website

Système d'Aide A la Décision en Agriculture au Maroc (SAADA)

http://aridoculture.googlepages.com/