Benefits of Circular Agriculture for Cropping Systems and Soil Fertility in Oases

Mustapha El Janati, Nouraya Akkal-Corfini, Ahmed Bouaziz, Abdallah Oukarroum, Paul Robin, Ahmed Sabri, Mohamed Chikhaoui and Zahra Thomas
Additional contact information
Mustapha El Janati: Department of Crop Production, Protection and Biotechnology, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat 10101, Morocco
Nouraya Akkal-Corfini: Unité Mixte de Recherche Sol Agro et Hydrosystème Spatialisation, Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, 35000 Rennes, France
Ahmed Bouaziz: Department of Crop Production, Protection and Biotechnology, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat 10101, Morocco
Abdallah Oukarroum: AgroBioSciences Program, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Benguerir 43150, Morocco
Paul Robin: Unité Mixte de Recherche Sol Agro et Hydrosystème Spatialisation, Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, 35000 Rennes, France
Ahmed Sabri: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Errachidia 52000, Morocco
Mohamed Chikhaoui: Department of Soil and Water Resource Management, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat 10101, Morocco
Zahra Thomas: Unité Mixte de Recherche Sol Agro et Hydrosystème Spatialisation, Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, 35000 Rennes, France

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-17

Abstract: Circular agriculture is an effective approach for the management of soil organic inputs that improves soil fertility and cropping system sustainability. We developed a cropping system typology and assessed effects of crop rotation, organic fertilization, and crop residue management on soil fertility properties. Farmers in Drâa-Tafilalet oases in Morocco were surveyed, and soil was sampled and analyzed. In the most common cropping systems (Type I), date palms were associated with cereals, forages, and perennial crops. Type II cropping systems referred to a monocropped date palm of only one cultivar. In Type III, date palm was associated with other crops on part of the utilized agricultural area and monocropped on the other part. In all cropping systems, mean soil organic matter (SOM) content was less than 1.5% and the SOM:clay ratio was less than 12%, which increased the soil degradation risk. Livestock was combined with crops in Type I and III cropping systems and produced 19.4 and 24.2 t of manure per farm per year, respectively. Type I and II cropping systems produced annually 0.98 and 2.1 t.ha −1 of dry palms, respectively. Recycling these organic waste products remains a promising option that could produce organic inputs and offset the current lack of manure.

Keywords: circular agriculture; cropping systems; date palm; manure; oasis; organic matter; organic residues; organic waste products (OWPs) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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