Given the aesthetic, cultural, ecological, and economic value of the date agro-system in Southwestern Tunisia, different management and conservation strategies have been warrantee to optimize land productivity sustainably. However, the inefficiency of the adopted management actions resulted in a continuous loss of soil fertility and decreasing fruit quality. Thus, the present paper attempts to evaluate accurately the evolution of the principal factors influencing date palm production and agricultural activities sustainability in the region. Integrated approaches of various irrigation water quality indices and geostatistical analysis coupled with field investigation and farming survey were applied to evaluate the evolution of key parameters influencing the development of date palm sustainably. The obtained results of the research indicate that the progressive land degradation is due to the effects of poorquality of water used for irrigation (EC between 674.4 and 5450 µs/cm, SAR exceeding locally 20 and about 80% of all the samples waters are of undoubtful quality according to the calculated indices), inappropriate irrigation scheduling (physiologic drought that might reach 3 months), traditional basin irrigation technique (decreasing of yield productivity, locally of 0.23, 0.23 and 0.25 kg m−3), an indigenous knowledge (sandy amendment, biologic compost, gravity improved irrigation…..). Also climate variability has leaded to furthermore degradation of crop quality. The degradation of date palm culture will be a great challenge for environmental conservation, food security and socio-economic values of the region unless a reasonable management take place, a flexible strategy based on indigenous knowledge of landowner, and scientific-based outlines with climate risks evaluation. The present paper might be useful to policy makers as a multi-disciplinary research covering most of the important aspects of date palm production.
The oasis soils of Tunisia face several climatic and soil constraints. Trying to have cultures that are profitable and beneficial in terms of soil C and N sequestration in such environments is already a challenge. To conduct this, we tested under identical conditions four types of occupation in sub-plots adjacent to the crops; barley alone, alfalfa alone, intercropping barley/alfalfa, and a control fallow in a saline gypseous desert soil poor in organic matter. Field experimentation was carried out in the oasis of Degache, which is very representative of other Tunisian oases. The stocks of C and N of the plot were calculated from the start in September 2019 before the installation of the different crops. After 21 months, the control plot shows a decrease of −41% in its stock of C and −25% in its stock N. However, the best result is that of the barley/alfalfa intercropping with an increase of +126.46% in the C stock and +178.67% in the N stock. After almost two years of experience, the beneficial effect of the intercropping system in the oasis is clear. These results are very motivating and seem to be a solution to the rapid decline in soil organic stocks.
This study was conducted at the Institute of Arid Regions of Gabes in Tunisia. Three plots were left as controls and received no input, three plots were amended with cattle manure with a dose equivalent to 37.5 t/ha, and nine plots were amended with phosphogypsum in three doses (12.5 t/ha, 25 t/ha, and 50 t/ha), with three repetitions for each dose. A pot test to determine the germination index and radioactivity analysis was carried out in the laboratory. The results showed that organic manure amendments and phosphogypsum improved the germination rate of the different crops (jute mallow, turnip, and oat) compared with the control. At the same time, the 50 t/ha dose had the highest germination rate. An increase in yield of all crops during the whole duration of the experiment was observed for the soil amended by phosphogypsum. The best yield was recorded when the highest dose of phosphogypsum was applied. The cadmium level in plants of the two applied amendments was variable but still below the toxicity threshold (7 ppm). The values recorded following the analysis of the phosphogypsum radioactivity showed that the mean value of Ra-226 equals 214.45 Bq/kg, which is below the limit announced by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). The radioactivity results from the control soil samples showed the presence of natural radioactivity. Samples of phosphogypsum-amended soil and plants grown in these soils have radioactivity values that are still lower than those announced by the EPA. The novelty aspect of this study is the application of phosphogypsum in different crops during two consecutive years in degraded-soil areas of Tunisia, in addition to the study of different aspects of phosphogypsum reuse in agriculture as a promising strategy for a sustainable environment.
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