[ Effets du non labour et de la gestion des résidus sur la conservation de l'eau et la qualité d'un sol calcimagnésique dans les zones semi-arides Marocaines ]
Volume 6, Issue 4, July 2014, Pages 792–800
Mohammed Belmekki1, Rachid Mrabet2, Mohamed El Gharous3, Rachid Moussadek4, Oumaima Iben Halima5, Mohamed Boughlala6, and Bouchaib Bencharki7
1 Faculté des sciences et techniques de Settat, UFR: G. R. N. C, Université Hassan I, 26000 Settat, Morocco
2 Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, BP 415, 10101 Rabat, Morocco
3 Centre Régional de la Recherche Agronomique de Settat, 26000 Settat, Morocco
4 Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, BP 415, 10101 Rabat, Morocco
5 Centre Régional de la Recherche Agronomique de Settat, 26000 Settat, Morocco
6 Centre Régional de la Recherche Agronomique de Settat, 26000 Settat, Morocco
7 Faculté des sciences et techniques de Settat, UFR: G. R. N. C, Université Hassan I, 26000 Settat, Morocco
Original language: French
Copyright © 2014 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
In Morocco, water scarcity is a major factor limiting agricultural production. Water shortage is accentuated by soil quality depletion exaggerated by intensive cropping and tillage systems that cause a decline in soil fertility, structure and organic mater. No-tillage system (NT) has been proposed as a viable alternative to conventional tillage (CT) to improve the soil quality and ensure water conservation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate tillage effects on soil moisture, soil organic matter (SOM) and soil aggregate stability in a Calcixeroll soil under three tillage treatments: conventional tillage system (CT), NT system with crop residues removed (NT0), and NT with 50% of crop residues returned to the soil surface (NT 50). Our results showed that residue cover combined with no-tillage (NT 50) has significantly increased the levels of SOM at the top 100 mm soil layer compared to CT and NT0. The results also indicate that soil water content in the three studied layers (0-50, 50-100 and 100-300 mm) was higher for NT. The performance of soil aggregates was better with regard to the different stresses caused by the mechanical tests. This usually leads toward soil consolidation and increasing the soil resistance to wind and water erosion. We conclude that the increased yield associated with no-tillage system can be explained by both better water conservation and soil quality improvement.
Author Keywords: No-Tillage, soil quality, crop residue, soil moisture, soil organic matter, aggregate stability.
Volume 6, Issue 4, July 2014, Pages 792–800
Mohammed Belmekki1, Rachid Mrabet2, Mohamed El Gharous3, Rachid Moussadek4, Oumaima Iben Halima5, Mohamed Boughlala6, and Bouchaib Bencharki7
1 Faculté des sciences et techniques de Settat, UFR: G. R. N. C, Université Hassan I, 26000 Settat, Morocco
2 Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, BP 415, 10101 Rabat, Morocco
3 Centre Régional de la Recherche Agronomique de Settat, 26000 Settat, Morocco
4 Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, BP 415, 10101 Rabat, Morocco
5 Centre Régional de la Recherche Agronomique de Settat, 26000 Settat, Morocco
6 Centre Régional de la Recherche Agronomique de Settat, 26000 Settat, Morocco
7 Faculté des sciences et techniques de Settat, UFR: G. R. N. C, Université Hassan I, 26000 Settat, Morocco
Original language: French
Copyright © 2014 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
In Morocco, water scarcity is a major factor limiting agricultural production. Water shortage is accentuated by soil quality depletion exaggerated by intensive cropping and tillage systems that cause a decline in soil fertility, structure and organic mater. No-tillage system (NT) has been proposed as a viable alternative to conventional tillage (CT) to improve the soil quality and ensure water conservation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate tillage effects on soil moisture, soil organic matter (SOM) and soil aggregate stability in a Calcixeroll soil under three tillage treatments: conventional tillage system (CT), NT system with crop residues removed (NT0), and NT with 50% of crop residues returned to the soil surface (NT 50). Our results showed that residue cover combined with no-tillage (NT 50) has significantly increased the levels of SOM at the top 100 mm soil layer compared to CT and NT0. The results also indicate that soil water content in the three studied layers (0-50, 50-100 and 100-300 mm) was higher for NT. The performance of soil aggregates was better with regard to the different stresses caused by the mechanical tests. This usually leads toward soil consolidation and increasing the soil resistance to wind and water erosion. We conclude that the increased yield associated with no-tillage system can be explained by both better water conservation and soil quality improvement.
Author Keywords: No-Tillage, soil quality, crop residue, soil moisture, soil organic matter, aggregate stability.
Abstract: (french)
Au Maroc, La disponibilité des ressources en eau devient un défi majeur et menace sérieusement les systèmes de production céréalière des zones semi arides. Cette situation s'aggrave à la fois par l'état dégradé des sols et par l'utilisation des pratiques culturales inadaptées (travail du sol intensif, surpâturage, exportation de résidus…). Pour limiter ces phénomènes et raisonner avec le concept d'une agriculture durable, l'Agriculture de Conservation à base de semis direct a prouvé son efficacité pour arrêter la baisse de la fertilité des sols et de compenser les effets négatifs futurs des changements climatiques. Cet article traite l'effet de trois pratiques culturales (le labour conventionnel (LC), le semis direct sans résidus de culture (SD0) et avec 50% de résidus (SD50)) sur les propriétés d'un sol calcimagnésique notamment l'humidité, la matière organique (MO) et la stabilité structurale. Les résultats ont montré que ces indicateurs de la qualité du sol ont révélé des différences sur les trois modes de travail de sol: le SD couplé aux résidus a eu un impact positif sur les horizons étudiés (0-50, 50-100 et 100-150 mm), marqué par un taux élevé d'humidité et une meilleure teneur en MO surtout pour les deux premiers horizons. Ceci a pour conséquence direct l'amélioration de l'état structural du sol qui se traduit par une résistance des agrégats de surface face aux différents mécanismes de désagrégation, ce qui offre une possibilité de réduire l'érosion éolienne et hydrique. En conclusion, l'augmentation des rendements sous système du SD peut s'expliquer à la fois par une meilleure conservation de l'eau et l'amélioration de la qualité des sols.
Author Keywords: Semis direct, qualité du sol, résidus de culture, stabilité structurale, matière organique, humidité.
How to Cite this Article
Mohammed Belmekki, Rachid Mrabet, Mohamed El Gharous, Rachid Moussadek, Oumaima Iben Halima, Mohamed Boughlala, and Bouchaib Bencharki, “Influence of residus management in a no-till system on water conservation and soil quality under Moroccan semi-arid conditions,” International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 792–800, July 2014.
