Évaluation de la production de des cultures alternatives sous Nano-irrigation au Maroc (Cas des cultures de Quinoa et Panic bleu sous Moistube)

Moistube technology, widely known as nano-irrigation, is starting to gain popularity lately in Morocco compared to other buried irrigation systems made up of porous tubes. However, the technology remains unknown with installation difficulties for professionals, and only a few demonstration trials, and rarely scientific trials are conducted to demonstrate the potential to further minimize water consumption compared to drip irrigation. In this study, we compared the nano-irrigation (Moistube) and drip systems in terms of water-saving and their effect on the growth of two alternative crops tolerant to salt and water stress, “Quinoa with a single growth cycle " and " the Blue Panicum with several growth cycles". A factorial design was carried out for each of the two crops. Two different irrigation systems were installed for each crop, the standard drip system and the Moistube irrigation system (n = 12). For quinoa, there was no significant difference between the applied irrigation water amounts and shoot dry biomass under nano irrigation and drip irrigation while registering improvement in grain yield under nano irrigation system. For the blue panicum, the water savings, until harvest, were 26%, 29%, and 19% higher under the nano-irrigation than with the drip irrigation system for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th growth cycles respectively. However, the dry matter biomass was not significantly different between the nano irrigation and drip irrigation treatments. Insofar as the variations in water requirements on the scale of a growth cycle, the number of days between refills of the nano-irrigation tank increased over time to stabilize at an average of 6 days in summer and 10 days in winter. These results suggest that the nano-irrigation system could be efficient in terms of water-saving for crops with multiple growth cycles such as blue panicum. This leads us to assume that further water saving could be achieved particularly for tree crops with large lateral row spacings. The findings also suggest an earlier production under nano irrigation compared to drip irrigation. At last, we recommend the installation of the nano system during rainy periods when the soil is wet, and the soil suction forces are low which would increase the duration of irrigation of a filled reservoir and would allow important water savings during the crop growth cycle.La technologie Moistube, largement connue sous le nom de nano-irrigation, commence à gagner en popularité ces derniers temps au Maroc par rapport à d'autres systèmes d'irrigation enterrés constitués de tubes poreux. Cependant, cette technologie reste encore méconnue avec des difficultés d'installation par les professionnels, et seuls quelques essais de démonstration, et rarement des essais scientifiques sont menés pour démontrer le potentiel de minimiser davantage la consommation d'eau par rapport à l'irrigation goutte à goutte. Dans cette étude, nous avons comparé les systèmes de nano-irrigation (Moistube) et de goutte-à-goutte en termes d'économie d'eau et leur effet sur la croissance de deux cultures alternatives tolérantes au stress salin et hydrique, le « Quinoa à cycle de croissance unique » et « le Blue Panicum avec plusieurs cycles de croissance". Un plan factoriel a été réalisé pour chacune des deux cultures. Deux systèmes d'irrigation différents ont été installés pour chaque culture, le système de goutte à goutte ordinaire et le système d'irrigation Moistube (n = 12). Pour le quinoa, il n'y avait aucune différence significative entre les quantités d'eau d'irrigation appliquées et la biomasse sèche de la partie aérienne sous nano irrigation et irrigation goutte à goutte et une nette amélioration du rendement en grains sous système de nano irrigation. Pour le bleu de panicum, les économies d'eau, jusqu'à la récolte, étaient de 26%, 29% et 19% plus élevées sous la nano-irrigation qu'avec le système d'irrigation goutte à goutte pour les 3eme, 4eme et 5eme cycles de croissance respectivement. Cependant, la biomasse de la matière sèche n'était pas significativement différente entre les traitements de nano irrigation et d'irrigation goutte à goutte. En considérant les variations des besoins en eau à l'échelle d'un cycle de croissance, le nombre de jours entre remplissages du réservoir de nano-irrigation a augmenté au cours du temps pour se stabiliser à une moyenne de 6 jours en été et 10 jours en hiver. Ces résultats montrent que le système de nano-irrigation pourrait être efficace et efficient en termes d'économie d'eau pour les cultures à cycles de croissance multiples comme le bleu de panicum. Ceci nous amène à supposer qu'une plus grande économie d'eau pourrait être réalisée en particulier pour les cultures arboricoles avec de grands espacements entre lignes. Les résultats suggèrent également une production plus précoce sous nano irrigation par rapport à l'irrigation goutte à goutte. Enfin, nous recommandons l'installation du nano système pendant les périodes pluvieuses lorsque le sol est humide et les forces d'aspiration du sol sont faibles ce qui augmenterait la durée du réservoir à irriguer et permettrait une économie d'eau considérable pendant le cycle de croissance des cultures

Assessing hydrological vulnerability to future droughts in a Mediterranean watershed : combined indices-based and distributed modeling approaches

Understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of future droughts is essential for effective water resource management, especially in the Mediterranean region where water resources are expected to be scarcer in the future. In this study, we combined meteorological and hydrological drought indices with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to predict future dry years during two periods (2035-2050and 2085-2100) in a typical Mediterranean watershed in Northern Morocco, namely, Bouregreg watershed. The developed methodology was then used to evaluate drought impact on annual water yields and to identify the most vulnerable sub-basins within the study watershed. Two emission scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) of a downscaled global circulation model were used to force the calibrated SWAT model. Results indicated that Bouregreg watershed will experience several dry years with higher frequency especially at the end of current century. Significant decreases of annual water yields were simulated during dry years, ranging from -45.6% to -76.7% under RCP4.5, and from -66.7% to -95.6% under RCP8.5, compared to baseline. Overall, hydrologic systems in sub-basins under the ocean or high-altitude influence appear to be more resilient to drought. The combination of drought indices and the semi-distributed model offer a comprehensive tool to understand potential future droughts in Bouregreg watershed

Assessing hydrological vulnerability to future droughts in a Mediterranean watershed: combined indices-based and distributed modeling approaches

Understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of future droughts is essential for effective water resource management, especially in the Mediterranean region where water resources are expected to be scarcer in the future. In this study, we combined meteorological and hydrological drought indices with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to predict future dry years during two periods (2035–2050and 2085–2100) in a typical Mediterranean watershed in Northern Morocco, namely, Bouregreg watershed. The developed methodology was then used to evaluate drought impact on annual water yields and to identify the most vulnerable sub-basins within the study watershed. Two emission scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) of a downscaled global circulation model were used to force the calibrated SWAT model. Results indicated that Bouregreg watershed will experience several dry years with higher frequency especially at the end of current century. Significant decreases of annual water yields were simulated during dry years, ranging from -45.6% to -76.7% under RCP4.5, and from -66.7% to -95.6% under RCP8.5, compared to baseline. Overall, hydrologic systems in sub-basins under the ocean or high-altitude influence appear to be more resilient to drought. The combination of drought indices and the semi-distributed model offer a comprehensive tool to understand potential future droughts in Bouregreg watershed

Groundwater Resources in Moroccan Coastal Aquifers: Insights of Salinization Impact on Agriculture

Across several coastal areas in Morocco, groundwater is the strategic source of irrigation. In this work, a database of thirteen Moroccan coastal aquifers was used to assess groundwater for agriculture purposes, as well as to highlight the process responsible of the degradation of groundwater resource quality in Moroccan coastal areas. According to electrical conductivity parameter, the results show that 92% of the collected samples were not suitable for irrigation uses. This situation is due to seawater intrusion and water–rock interaction processes, in addition to intensive agriculture activities and the introduction of domestic and industrial wastewater without any treatment. In order to control the impact of groundwater salinity on agriculture, management plans are proposed

Toward Better Preparedness of Mediterranean Rainfed Agricultural Systems to Future Climate-Change-Induced Water Stress: Study Case of Bouregreg Watershed (Morocco)

Improving the preparedness of agricultural systems to future climate-change-induced phenomena, such as drought-induced water stress, and the predictive analysis of their vulnerability is crucial. In this study, a hybrid modeling approach based on the SWAT model was built to understand the response of major crops and streamflow in the Bouregreg catchment in Morocco to future droughts. During dry years, the simulation results showed a dramatic decrease in water resources availability (up to −40%) with uneven impacts across the study catchment area. Crop-wise, significant decreases in rainfed wheat productivity (up to −55%) were simulated during future extremely dry growing seasons

Towards Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions Agriculture in North Africa through Climate-Smart Agriculture: A Systematic Review

North Africa (NA) is supposed to lower emissions in its agriculture to honor climate action commitments and to impulse sustainable development across Africa. Agriculture in North Africa has many assets and challenges that make it fit to use the tools of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) for mitigation purposes. This study represents a first attempt to understand if CSA practices are sufficiently established in NA to contribute to reducing agriculture emissions. A PRISMA-inspired systematic review was carried out on an initial 147 studies retrieved from Scopus, Google Scholar, and the Web of Science databases, as well as from gray literature. 11 studies were included in the final analysis since they report the mitigation and co-benefits of CSA-based practices within NA. A bias risk was identified around the optimal inclusion of studies produced in French, and a specific plan was set for its minimization. Synthesis results revealed that most studies focused either on improving soil quality (nine studies) or managing enteric fermentation (two studies). The review revealed a poor establishment of the CSA framework in the region, especially in sequestering GHG emissions. A set of recommendations has been formulated to address the identified gaps from research orientations and organizational perspectives and empower the CSA as an ally for mitigation in north African agriculture