Knowledge Management Portal

At the interaction between oases and deserts, camel systems have been identified as the most efficient in valorizing scarce resources (water, land and capital). These systems have recently witnessed important changes due to climate change, the modernization of living conditions and the evolutions in resources’ access and regulation (mainly water and land). Even if mobility remains the pillar of camel systems’ sustainability, its present configuration escapes all the ancient or a-priori models like nomadism or transhumance. This study aims to describe the recent changes in mobility management by camel breeders in Zagora region (Center Eastern Morocco) and identifies their main drivers. Two methodologies were used: a narrative approach to describe mobility management between generations and a holistic approach to understand the current diversity of mobility. This work was based on a survey conducted near 41 camel breeders during 2017, using a semi-structured questionnaire.

Many studies show that silicon is a beneficial element for the growth of plants, especially cereals, despite its non-essential element status. Hence, the reserve of bioavailable silicon in the soil can be a limiting factor to achieve optimal yields. The objective of our study is to characterize the status of silicon in Moroccan soils subjected to the cultivation of bread wheat in two regions of Morocco: Meknes and Settat. Given the diversity of their soils, our approach is to select certain soil classes based on soil descriptions. So, four classes have been identified: vertisols, calcimagnetic soils, isohumic soils and soils with sesquioxides. To do this, physicochemical analyzes were performed to determine soil characteristics, as well as to quantify the bioavailable fraction of silicon in these soils. At the end of this study, it should be said that the silicon content differs from one zone to another and from one soil class to another. The variation of the mobile silicon content for the Meknes study area is between 0.017 and 0.040 mg/g whereas in the Settat study area, the content varies between 0.031 and 0.055 mg / g. Comparing the content of mobile silicon found on each soil type, it can be said that mobile silicon is more abundant in isohumic soils (0.032 - 0.052 mg/g) and vertisols (0.027 - 0.054 mg/g) than on sesquioxide soils (0.016 - 0.042 mg / g) and calcimagnetic soils (0.028 - 0.037 mg / g). Thus, a set of relationships between the mobile silicon content and certain soil parameters have been defined: negative correlations with pH and total limestone, which means that when these parameters decrease, the mobile silicon content increases, and a positive correlation with Mg . However, other parameters are positively correlated with the mobile Si content depending on the soil classes: for the class of calcimagnetic soils, the class of iron sesquioxide soils and vertisols, we find a relation with the clay content, while for the class of isohumics, the mobile Si content is correlated with the Mg2+content.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a diploid species (2n = 2x = 14) and one of the four most important cereal crops in the world after rice, wheat and maize. These cereals are mainly used for animal feed, malt production and human consumption. Due to its wide environmental range, end-uses and wide variety of uses, barley has become an excellent model for studying and responding to the impacts of various climate change scenarios. The present work deals with two major aspects: the first concerns the identification through the agronomic study of barley, a genotypes performing from 30 varieties used optimizing the sequestration of soil organic carbon. The second aspect aims to determine for the same varieties the correlation between the architecture of the root system and the resistance to drought in the species in order to select genotypes with sustainable productivity by mobilizing the resources of a dry environment such as the Moroccan context. Descriptive analyzes showed significant differences between genotypes for morphological traits (plant height, flag leaf and spike length), productivity traits (number of tillers, total biomass and root biomass), root angle and sequestration of soil organic carbon. Moreover, variance analyzes (ANOVA) revealed highly significant differences between the genotypes for all of the above characters except carbon sequestration. The correlation matrix recorded highly significant correlations between productivity traits, but no significant correlation was found between these traits and root architecture (root angle), or even sequestration of soil organic carbon. Principal component analysis (ACP) revealed four groups of homogenous genotypes for most of the characters mentioned, and this grouping was confirmed by the euclidean distance dendrogram. A negative correlation between root angle and resistance to water stress led to the identification of three major groups of genotypes with different behaviors: conservative, intermediate conservation and no or little conservative

Le présent travail a été entrepris en vue d’étudier les différents types d’élevage de dromadaire et de diagnostiquer les effets des changements observés sur la productivité du cheptel camelin et sa rentabilité économique dans les régions de Laâyoune Sakia El Hamra et Guelmim Oued Noun, moyennant des enquêtes auprès de 40 éleveurs. Trois systèmes d’élevage sont identifiés, à savoir le système extensif, le système périurbain et urbain. Depuis un certain temps, et suite aux conditions climatiques de plus en plus défavorables à une bonne production pastorale (irrégularité de la pluviométrie, sécheresses répétitives, températures élevées et réduction des parcours naturels), et compte tenu de l’urbanisation accélérée et de la demande de plus en plus importante en produits camelins, des changements dans la règle de gestion des élevages ont commencé à se manifester et à favoriser l'émergence des systèmes de production péri-urbains et urbains, utilisant plus d’aliments de complémentation pour répondre aux nouvelles tendances. Cependant, le système d'élevage extensif reste le plus pratiqué par la majorité des éleveurs. Il est basé essentiellement sur l'exploitation des parcours naturels et utilisant très peu d'intrants. Pour ce système, la supplémentation alimentaire n’est pratiquée qu’en période de sécheresse, notamment de juin à septembre dans la région de Laâyoune et en juillet et août à Guelmim, alors que l’alimentation du dromadaire du système urbain s’appuie totalement sur des aliments autres que les plantes pastorales, notamment la pulpe sèche de betterave, l’orge, la luzerne, le son de blé, la paille, les rebuts de dattes, les raquettes de cactus, le maïs et les grignons d’olive. Quant au système périurbain, il est caractérisé par la combinaison entre le pâturage durant la journée, et une alimentation le soir au niveau de l’étable. Ces systèmes s’appuient sur un ensemble de techniques et de moyens visant à optimiser les capacités de production de l’animal, de la terre ou de la main d’œuvre. C’est le cas des élevages laitiers périurbains à la périphérie des villes sahariennes du sud du Maroc, ainsi que l’engraissement et les dromadaires de course. Les performances zootechniques des animaux élevés dans ces systèmes s’en trouvent améliorées. En effet, la production laitière en pic de lactation varie entre 6 et 8 l/j en extensif, 6.5 à 8.5 l/j en périurbain et 7 à 9 l/j en urbain. L’intervalle chamelage-chamelage est de 18 à 24 mois en extensif, 14 à 16 mois en périurbain et 12 à 14 mois en urbain. Le taux de fécondité est de 20 à 40% en extensif, 40 à 45% en périurbain et 50 à 65% en urbain. Le taux de mortalité des nouveau-nés avant deux mois d’âge atteint 30% en extensif, 15 % en périurbain et 10 % en urbain. Les charges de production sont principalement composées des frais d’alimentation au niveau des élevages et des charges d’acquisition du cheptel. Le système urbain laitier assure le plus grand chiffre d’affaires grâce à la plus grande quantité de lait vendue en comparaison avec le périurbain, puis vient le système d’engraissement, et enfin l’extensif qui vient après l’urbain « course », dont le chiffre d’affaires est constitué principalement par les prix et la subvention du Moussem. Le résultat net a permis de conclure que l’urbain laitier est le système le plus rentable. La valeur actuelle nette et l’indice de profitabilité montrent que tous les systèmes sont rentables à l’exception de l’urbain « course ». On peut conclure que l’intensification de la production, pour une partie du cheptel, permettrait d’améliorer le revenu de l’éleveur et de pourvoir la demande grandissante en produits camelins. A cet effet, la sensibilisation et l’encadrement des éleveurs sur l’amélioration de la conduite alimentaire moyennant des ressources locales, et des conditions de vie des animaux dans les Haouchs, l’instauration de programmes d’amélioration génétique des animaux, la mise en place de centres de collecte du lait et de réseaux de commercialisation des produits laitiers dans les périphéries des villes, une meilleure organisation de la filière dromadaire de course et son intégration dans les activités touristiques, sont des actions à mener pour créer de la valeur ajoutée dans les filières camelines.

Net form of net blotch (NFNB) of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), caused by Pyrenophora teres f. teres (Ptt) Drechsler (anamorph: Drechslera teres [Sacc.] Shoem.), is considered one of the major constraints of successful barley production in major barley growing regions of the world. Resistance to NFNB was evaluated in a barley collection of 336 genotypes (AM2014), at seedling stage using isolates LGDPtt.19 and TD10 in the USA, and adult stage in seven hotspot environments in Morocco. The AM-2014 panel was genotyped with 9K SNP markers and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were carried out using mixed linear model (MLM: Q+K) accounting for population structure (Q) and kinship (K) as covariates. Significant (P<0.001) marker trait associations were corrected for false discovery rate (FDR) at the q< 0.05. Four genotypes showed an average infection response (IRs≤2) to both isolates, LGDPttt.19 and TD10, at the seedling stage, and 30 genotypes showed resistance in all environments in the field while three genotypes exhibited the highest resistance at both stages.The GWAS of NFNB identified 31 distinct QTLs on all seven barley chromosomes, of which 8 with resistance at seedling stage, 21 were associated with resistance at the adult stage, and two QTLs, QRptt.2H-132.15 and QPtt.6H-54-55, conferred resistance at both stages. Of 31 resistance QTLs reported in this study, 10 QTLs coincided with previously mapped QTL while 21 are novel, thereby validating the GWAS approach used in this study.The resistance sources identified in AM-2014 and QTL mapped in this study are valuable resources for marker-assisted breeding for NFNB resistance in the future.

Nitrogen (N) accumulation in legumes is one of the main determinants of crop yield. Although N accumulation from symbiotic nitrogen fixation or N absorption from the soil has been widely investigated, there is no clear consensus on timing of the beginning of N accumulation and the termination of N accumulation and the physiological events that may be associated with these two events. The analyses conducted in this study aimed at identifying the determinant of N accumulation in two grain legume species. Nitrogen accumulation dynamics and mass accumulation and development stages were recorded in the field for several genotypes of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and faba bean (Vicia faba) under different growing conditions. This study showed that during the vegetative stages, N accumulation rate was correlated with mass accumulation rate. However, the maximum accumulation of N did not correspond to the time of the maximum mass accumulation. In fact, for both species, N accumulation was found to persist in seed growth. This challenges a common hypothesis that seed growth causes a decrease in N accumulation because of a shift of the photosynthate supply to support the seed growth. Even more surprising was the shift of the active accumulation of N in faba bean to late in the growing season as compared with common bean. N accumulation by faba bean only was initiated at high rates very late in vegetative growth and persisted at high rates well into seed fill.

Plant breeders are interested in using diverse genotypes in hybridization that can segregate for traits of importance with possibility of selection and genetic gain. Information on molecular and agro-morphological diversity helps the breeders reduce the effort for parental selection and helps the advancement of generations. A phenotypic and molecular diversity study, using 24 traits (agronomic and disease) and 6519 SNPs in a diverse collection of 336 spring barley genotypes, was carried out at Marchouch and Jemma Shiam research stations in Morocco. Based on structure and multivariate analyses, strong differentiation between the two- and six-row types were observed. The linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay of the current collection (for the combined population) was up to 3.58 cM (r 2 = 0.15) while LD decay were estimated 3.91 and 2.36 cM for two- and six-row barley, respectively. PCA of agro-morphological traits revealed grain per spike, net form of net blotch (NFNB), spot form of net blotch (SFNB), and 1000 kernel weight were the most discriminatory traits in the current collection. Association mapping in the two independent populations will be ideal for identification of markers, and QTL related to traits. The generated information on relatedness between individuals will help identify diverse genotypes for breeding programs.

The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)—has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversit