Rachid Bouabid - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Rachid Bouabid

Morocco is a Mediterranean country facing water resources scarcity due to arid and semi-arid cond... more Morocco is a Mediterranean country facing water resources scarcity due to arid and semi-arid conditions, aggravated by the global climatic changes. In this paper, long term past trends of stream flow in relation to climatic data were studied in four sub-basins of the Sebou basin in northern Morocco. A hydrologic simulation was performed on one of the sub-basins using the IHACRES and HEC-HMS models. Over the last five decades, stream flow and precipitation data showed a cyclic trends as well as a general decline with variable amplitude from one sub-basin to another. Recorded stream flows are significantly correlated with the corresponding precipitation. The average curve fit for precipitations showed slopes ranging from -5.5 to -3.7, indicating rainfall decline over the past 50 years. Stream flow modelling with both IHACRES and HEC-HMS gave very reasonable simulations and were comparable over the studied series. Differences among years with contrasting climatic events were well depic...

Frontiers in Agronomy

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Wild.) is a drought and salinity-tolerant crop that originated in the ... more Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Wild.) is a drought and salinity-tolerant crop that originated in the Andes over 7000 years ago. It is adapted to different agroecological areas and can be grown from sea level to an altitude of 4000 m. The outstanding nutritional status of quinoa, with its high content of proteins, vitamins, and minerals, makes it a promising crop able to combat hunger and malnutrition in different countries in the 21st century. Quinoa cultivation has expanded from South America to Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. Reviewing quinoa cropping practices will provide farmers with adequate recommendations for improving the agronomic and environmental sustainability of quinoa cultivation worldwide. For this reason, we conducted a systematic review of agronomic management practices in 148 field experiments conducted worldwide from 2000 to 2022. The collected data from the literature were analyzed and presented by location to determine high-performing genotypes, optimal pl...

E3S web of conferences, 2022

Water is a crucial resource for food production and its scarcity associated with frequent drought... more Water is a crucial resource for food production and its scarcity associated with frequent droughts has increased the need for a more efficient use of it along with new irrigation management technologies. This study addressed onion crop responses to continuous deficit irrigation with trigging thresholds of readily available water content. The experiment was conducted on an experimental plot in open field in Morocco. Three water regimes were applied T1 control (100%), T2 (75%) and T3 (50%) of crop evapotranspiration ETc combined with two trigging thresholds (10% and 5%). This is a complete random block device with four repetitions. The measurements concerned the monitoring of vegetative, Eco physiological and yield parameters. The results obtained show that: (i) 100% ETc irrigation at a threshold of 5% of RAW recorded the maximum bulb diameter and weight, thus achieving the best marketable bulb yields. However, in terms of yields, this treatment is not significantly different from the other irrigation regimes with the exception of the irrigated treatment at 50% daily ETc and at a threshold of 10% RAW. The latter recorded the lowest values in terms of production parameters. (ii) For the ecophysiological parameters, significant effects of irrigation dose were observed for proline content, stomatal conductance and leaf temperature, and the effect of the trigging threshold was clearly observed for the moisture content of the leaves. (iii) Water restrictions have minimized the rate of premature run and population density of Thrips tabaci in the onion. (iv) Finally, the best agronomic efficiencies in the use of irrigation water were recorded in treatments with a water restriction of 50%.

Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences, May 1, 2022

Abstract Nitrogen resulting from the mineralization of organic fertilizers is of great importance... more Abstract Nitrogen resulting from the mineralization of organic fertilizers is of great importance in organic farming and depends greatly on the type of fertilizer used. Two tests (incubation and pot test) were conducted on poor organic matter soil to assess mineralization and N release from different organic sources. The objective of the first test was the study of the mineralization under incubation conditions of four organic fertilizers commonly used doses (worm-compost: 5 t ha−1; compost: 5 t ha−1; sheep manure: 30 t ha−1; fishmeal: 3,5 t ha−1), while that of the second test was the study in pot experiment of the effect of adding worm-compost (0, 5, 10 and 15 t ha−1) and fishmeal (0, 1.75 and 3.5 t ha−1) on N mineralization, and growth and yield of potato. During incubation, N mineralized from the four organic fertilizers tested differ significantly. The maximum N mineralization apparent rates (NMAR) were 62.3%, 38%, 30% and 18%, for fishmeal, compost, worm-compost and sheep manure, respectively. At the end of the incubation, an N immobilization was observed for worm-compost and compost and was attributed to a C/N increase. For the pots test, the use of fishmeal had a significant effect on leaf number, plant height, plant dry matter, aerial nitrogen uptake, tuber number and tuber yield, while the addition of worm-compost had an effect, on leaf number and tuber yield only. The combination of these two fertilizers (10 t ha−1 of worm-compost and 1.75 t ha−1 of fishmeal) generated at harvest a maximum of underground N uptake (2.96 g plant−1; 123 kg ha−1) and total N uptake (3.26 g plant−1; 136.5 kg ha−1). This was favored by NMAR of 71% and 64.3% for fishmeal and worm-compost, respectively, generating the optimal yield (554.4 g plant−1; 23.1 t ha−1).

Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences

Science of The Total Environment, 2019

Microelements play important roles in improving crop productivity and quality. Two traditional me... more Microelements play important roles in improving crop productivity and quality. Two traditional methods of providing micronutrients are soil and foliar application, yet the cost involved and phytotoxicity risks poses a major challenge in most global agricultural areas. Nutri-priming represents thus a very promising and viable alternative to ensure that the plants' requirements for micronutrients are met. This paper explores the Mo-priming effects on the germination, growth and yield components of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). In order to accomplish this research objective, our study is divided in two phases. The first phase seeks to determine the effects of two durations (5 and 10 hours) of Mo-priming on the germination parameters. Then, a greenhouse pot experiment was conducted with primed seeds showing better germination performance to assess the effects of Mo-priming on certain parameters related to biological nitrogen fixation and crop yield. Five seed pretreatments were studied, namely, 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2% of ammonium heptamolybdate ((NH 4) 6 Mo 7 O 24 .4H 2 O). Unprimed seeds treated with or without the recommended dose through a soil application were used as controls. Hydropriming is sufficient to improve seed germination performance. However, 0.1% Mo-priming for 10 hours improved the net CO 2 assimilation rate, chlorophyll content and biological nitrogen fixation. Six times more nitrogen was fixed (65.8 kg ha-1) in these plants than in the controls. Additionally, grain yield increased by 115% compared to the negative control. Thus, compared to soil intake, nutripriming was a very efficient experimental method.

The Science of the total environment, Jan 31, 2018

The wastewater treatment and sludge production sectors in Morocco are recent. Considered as waste... more The wastewater treatment and sludge production sectors in Morocco are recent. Considered as waste, no management strategy for sewage sludge (SS) has been implemented. Thus, its disposal definitely represents a major environmental problem since sludge is either incinerated, used as landfill or simply deposited near wastewater treatment plants. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dehydrated SS on certain soil properties (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), Mineral nitrogen, available phosphate PO, and soluble potassium KO), and also on growth and yield components of the sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). An experiment was conducted using six treatment rates (0; 0 + NPK; 15; 30; 60 and 120 t ha). The results showed that soil pH was significantly affected by SS, becoming less alkaline compared to the control, while electrical conductivity increased significantly when the applied doses were above 30 t ha. Also, a significant enrichment in mineral N and available phos...

International Journal of Pest Management

Frontiers in Plant Science

In the context of climate change, quinoa represents a potential alternative crop for increasing c... more In the context of climate change, quinoa represents a potential alternative crop for increasing crops diversity, agricultural productivity, and farmer’s income in semi-arid regions. However, appropriate crop management practices under limited water supply are still poorly documented. Quinoa, like other cultivated crops, needs optimum quantities of nutrients, especially nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), for better growth and high grain yield. To determine the adequate levels of nutrient requirements and their effect on quinoa growth and productivity, a field experiment was conducted during two growing seasons (2020–2021 and 2021–2022). The experiment was conducted in Ben Guerir region, north-central Morocco, and consisted of a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The treatments studied consist of a combination of four N rates (0, 40, 80, and 120 kg ha−1), three P rates (0, 30, and 60 kg P2O5 ha−1), and three K rates (0, 60, and 120 kg K2O ha...

Water

Throughout the last decade, and particularly in 2022, water scarcity has become a critical concer... more Throughout the last decade, and particularly in 2022, water scarcity has become a critical concern in Morocco and other Mediterranean countries. The lack of rainfall during spring was worsened by a succession of heat waves during the summer. To address this drought, innovative solutions, including the use of new technologies such as hydrogels, will be essential to transform agriculture. This paper presents the findings of a study that evaluated the impact of hydrogel application on onion (Allium cepa) cultivation in Meknes, Morocco. The treatments investigated in this study comprised two different types of hydrogel-based soil additives (Arbovit® polyacrylate and Huminsorb® polyacrylate), applied at two rates (30 and 20 kg/ha), and irrigated at two levels of water supply (100% and 50% of daily crop evapotranspiration; ETc). Two control treatments were included, without hydrogel application and with both water amounts. The experiment was conducted in an open field using a completely r...

E3S Web of Conferences

E3S Web of Conferences, 2022

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different restricted irrigation strategies... more This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different restricted irrigation strategies on peach trees. Sustainable and regulated deficit irrigation treatments were applied during the 2018/2019 production season in a commercial plot of “Bénédicte” variety located at the Atlas Mountain’s region of Morocco. Five different treatments were tested: T1, T2 and T3 with an application of respectively 125% (over-irrigation), 100% (control) and 75% (deficit-irrigation) of Crop Water Requirement (CWR) throughout the whole crop cycle; These treatments were classified under Sustainable Deficit Irrigation treatments (SDI). Regulated Deficit Irrigation treatments (RDI) comprising of treatments T4, and T5 which correspond respectively to applications of 75% ETc and 50% ETc during the pit hardening stage (PH), and 100% ETc during the rest of the cycle. The results showed that deficient irrigation treatments had no effect on vegetative growth parameters.A downward trend in average fruit wei...

Journal of African Earth Sciences, 1996

Triassic basalts in the Mid-Atlas Mountains of Morocco are represented by lava flow sequences. In... more Triassic basalts in the Mid-Atlas Mountains of Morocco are represented by lava flow sequences. In a vertical transect, consisting of at least four lavas, the basal unit is covered by a paleosol relic. The basalt is tholeiitic with an ophitic texture, and has a mineralogical assemblage characterised by the presence of pumpellyite and chlorite, indicating that the volcanic rocks have

The Clay fractions of five Moroccan vertisols (Chaouia, Gharb, Doukalla, Zair, and Sais) as well ... more The Clay fractions of five Moroccan vertisols (Chaouia, Gharb, Doukalla, Zair, and Sais) as well as a reference smectite (montmorillonite SWY-1) were Ca-saturated and dispersed in K + ↔Ca 2+ binary exchange solutions with constant ionic forces of 10 -2 at 25°C. Exchange isotherms established showed that K is preferentially adsorbed compared to Ca 2+ in all soil clays and the reference smectite. The clay fraction of the Ch-Chaouia soil, which is dominantly beidellitic, represents the highest affinity for K + . For all other soil clays, the values of the Vanselow (KV) exchange selectivity coefficient, Gaines and Thomas (KGT), and Gapon (KG) were higher than 1. This corroborates the fact that clays fractions of vertisols dominated by smectites are highly selective to K + compared to Ca 2+ . The regression coefficient show that a two-site adsorption model predicts well the adsorption parameters α, KV1, KV2 and N0. The site 1 (α) portion is more important in the Chaouia soil clay (α = 0....

Sustainability

Quinoa is a highly nutritious and gluten-free crop. It is a good alternative crop to cereals in t... more Quinoa is a highly nutritious and gluten-free crop. It is a good alternative crop to cereals in the context of climate change. In the process of introducing quinoa to an arid region of Morocco (Rehamna), late sowing results in stunted plants and low yields due to insufficient precipitations and high temperatures around the flowering stage. Early sowing of short-cycle cultivars constitutes a good strategy to enhance growth and yields. A field experiment was conducted in the Rehamna region in 2020–2021 to investigate the effect of the sowing date on quinoa growth, development, and yield. Two cultivars, ICBA-Q5 and Titicaca, and five sowing dates from 15 November to 15 March were evaluated. Results showed that December sowing enhanced plant height, total leaf area, the number and dry weight of branches, leaves, and panicles, and enhanced quinoa productivity, due to high precipitations, optimal temperatures, and a short photoperiod. The highest grain yield (0.84 t ha−1) was obtained wit...

Clementine var. Cadoux is a citrus fruit that is well appreciated by consumers. However, this cul... more Clementine var. Cadoux is a citrus fruit that is well appreciated by consumers. However, this cultivar tends to produce fruits of small to medium size that are less accepted commercially. In this field study, we evaluated the effects of various rates and frequencies of foliar potassium (K) fertilization, as either potassium nitrate (KNO3) or potassium sulfate (K2SO4), on fruit production (fruit size, weight and yield) and quality parameters (skin thickness, firmness, color index, maturity index, juice content, acidity and total soluble sugars). Application rates of tested foliar fertilizers were 5 percent and 8 percent KNO3, and 2.5 percent and 4 percent for K2SO4, applied either two or three times during fruit growth on orchards of three planting densities (D1: 6 x 6 m, D2: 5 x 6 m and D3: 6 x 3.5 m tree spacing). The levels of K in leaves of clementine var. Cadoux increased by up to 40 percent two weeks after the last foliar K application. Fruit weight increased with K application...