Assessment of Soil Quality for a Semi-Arid Irrigated Under Citrus Orchard : Case of the Haouz Plain, Morocco

Abstract

The irrigated perimeter of the Haouz plain is one of the largest in Morocco with 310.000 Ha with intense agricultural practices based on irrigation. Besides, recent studies have shown that the aquifer is characterized by an overall average to low sensitivity and vulnerability. The objective of this study is to provide an in depth diagnosis of the current situation regarding soil quality for a drip irrigation area: a citrus orchard, in a farm named Agafay, is located in the western part of Haouz, at 35 km SW of Marrakesh. To this European Scientific Journal February 2017 edition vol.13, No.6 ISSN: 1857 -7881 (Print) e -ISSN 1857 368 objective, an intensive in situ campaign has been carried out focused on the measurements of the physico-chemical parameters of soil, at nine plots. The variation of these parameters, their impact on the type of rootstock and the variation of pollutants through the five soil horizons are analyzed. The results revealed that the condition in the soil quality is not very alarming. As most of the soils are light-textured, with poor organic matter content and basic to very basic pH. The reduction of organic matter, salinity, orthophosphates and nitrates with depth is attributed to the localized mode of irrigation adopted at the site which minimizes the loss of nutrients and, in fine, pollution of the aquifer. Multivariate analysis shows that the total and lime correlate well with the pH, which in turn correlate negatively with nitrate content and soil electrical conductivity. This work has strong implications for the quality assessment of soil for all irrigated perimeters by the drip in semi-arid areas, order to ensure the conservation and sustainability of the production system.

Evaluation of Groundwater Quality and Agricultural use Under a Semi‐arid Environment: Case of Agafay, Western Haouz, Morocco

“…Seventy‐three soil samples were collected all over the experimental field to ensure appropriate spatial coverage of the whole agricultural area (Sefiani et al, ). Analysis of the physico‐chemical parameters of the experimental site showed that the soil has a light texture characterized by dominance of the sand fraction (53%), silt (24%) and clay (23%).…”

“…The crop was maintained in over‐irrigated conditions by drip irrigation. The soil type is homogeneous, with high sand and low clay content (53% sand, 24% loam and 23% clay) (Sefiani et al, ). The sources of water for irrigation include surface water: Lalla Takerkoust and Agafay dams, and groundwater.…”

Contribution to the optimization of citrus (Citrus clementina Hort. Ex Tanaka) fruit fertilization using mobile lysimetry in orchards of the Souss-Massa region, Morocco

“…Electrical conductivity (EC) is a valuable indicator of soil salinity and can offer insights into nutrient availability in citrus orchards(Sefiani et al, 2017) Ozi et al (2023). demonstrated a strong correlation between EC and the presence of macro and oligo-elements.…”