Environmental Sciences Proceedings, Volume 16, 2022

For better soil management in terms of salinization to ensure sustainable agriculture, a soil salinity mapping and prediction study based on the measurement of apparent electrical conductivity using an electromagnetic instrument (EM38) combined with...

In submitting conference proceedings to Environment Sciences Proceedings, the volume editors of the proceedings certify to the publisher that all papers published in this volume have been subjected to peer review administered by the volume editors [...]

In the absence of matric potential, the hydroponic cultivation method of employing brackish water to prepare a nutrient solution permits satisfactory growth, even of non-leafy vegetables. The present study evaluated the growth variables, stem diamete...

Salt stress is considered one of the most damaging abiotic stresses for maize productivity. In this study, two-hybrid varieties (Sancia and Agrister) were cultivated under 0, 2, 4, and 6 g NaCl L⁻¹. Under 6 g NaCl L⁻¹, shoot length, dry w...

New technologies have been developed to maximize agricultural production with rational use of water resources, especially salt water. We conducted field experiments using either the Nano Irrigation system or the drip irrigation system on sandy loam s...

In this research, in vitro culture was applied to evaluate five alfalfa lines for salt tolerance and to select and multiply the most resistant clones. The pregerminated seeds were tested on a semisolid culture medium enriched with four different NaCl...

Desert regions occupy 33% of the Earth’s land surface. Despite the harsh climatic conditions, different types of plants and microorganisms have adapted to survive and proliferate in these arid extreme conditions and developed associations. Pros...

Soil salinity limits forage productivity in ~1125 million ha of particularly arid lands across continents. Grass-legume mixtures are known to enhance soil nutrient cycling and forage productivity in non-saline conditions. We tested if these benefits...

Direct-seeded rice (DSR) requires less labor and less water. The low input cost of DSR makes it a better alternative than the conventional transplanted system for rice. DSR helps to reduce production risk, facilitates crop production, and limits irri...

Salinity is becoming a serious threat to global food security, as it can significantly reduce crop yields and irreversibly damage soil fertility. Moreover, this problem is currently exacerbated by the impact of climate change, especially in drylands....

Quinoa is a potential alternative crop for an adaptation strategy for salinization and climate change effects in dryland. A sowing date of February practiced in the Rehamna region, Morocco, resulted in stunted plants and low yields due to insufficien...

The agriculture sector in Morocco contributes significantly to the economic development of the country; however, this sector faces several challenges. One of these important challenges is the increasing level of salinization in soils and groundwater....

In this study, the effect of applied NaCl on the growth and proline concentration of maize varieties, i.e., (Zea mays L.), Syngenta 7720, Syngenta 6668, eco-91, Syngenta 7710 and Advanta Pac 751 vertex 751, was investigated. The experiment was conduc...

The utilization of saline soil and water resources by Saline Agriculture systems is an economical and viable strategy for meeting the rising demand for global food. However, despite vast experiences in research and commercial accomplishments, Saline...

In the present research, an alternative eco-efficient biotechnology system, both selective and environmentally viable, is proposed and compared to a conventional scheme. The results showed an optimal process function and a significant difference (p &...

Salt tolerance mechanisms are regulated by balance in cell ionic concentrations such as K⁺, Na⁺, H⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺. In this study, we examined major QTLs for the traits K⁺/Na⁺ homeostasis, shoot magnesium content (Mg²⁺), shoot calcium content (Ca²⁺)...

Root developmental plasticity might provide breeders with the opportunity to generate crops with more resistant root system designs to abiotic pressures such as salt stress. The potential influence of diverse root designs in a panel of sorghum variet...

This study aimed to investigate the functional response of Panicum antidotale Retz, Chenopodium quinoa, and Zea mays L. to different levels of saline irrigation water. Nutrient uptake, biochemical content, and growth response were evaluated to select...

Salt stress is the most widespread soil problem in rice-growing countries, and it causes significant reductions in rice production worldwide. Identifying QTLs for sodicity tolerance at the reproductive stage is crucial to enhance the grain yield in s...

Nowadays, salinization is becoming a serious problem affecting several agricultural areas, especially irrigated ones. A field experiment was conducted in Foum El Oued, south of Morocco, testing quinoa responses to three irrigation-water salinities (4...

Stevia (Stevia Rebauiana Bertoni) is one of the most renowned medicinal plants for its low calorific value. Stevia’s active components are steviol glycosides (SGs), which include Rebaudioside A, B, C, D, E, F, M, Stevioside, Steviolbioside, Dul...

In salt affected soils, neither physical nor chemical remediation methods are cost-effective for saline/sodic soil reclamation. Salt-affected lands are estimated at about 955 million ha worldwide, afflicting over 6% of the world’s total arable...

In Tunisia, the phenomenon of abandonment of agricultural fields due to soil salinization is becoming common in oasis systems. However, little is known about the salinity level and the geochemical composition of abandoned oasis soils. A total of 156...

With sea levels rising due to climate change, salinity intrusion will increase and new crops, specifically appropriate to such particular ecological conditions, are needed. In the project “SALAD—Saline Agriculture as a Strategy to Adapt t...

Across several coastal areas in Morocco, groundwater is the strategic source of irrigation. In this work, a database of thirteen Moroccan coastal aquifers was used to assess groundwater for agriculture purposes, as well as to highlight the process re...

Abiotic stresses such as salt are typical negative factors that have a considerable impact on agricultural output around the world. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of halotolerant plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on pl...

Drought is the most important limiting factor affecting plant yield and photosynthesis and has impacts on reducing yields. The objective of this work is to study the impacts of drought regimes of irrigation on Chlorophyll a fluorescence, stress statu...

In many parts of the world, the impact of open landfills on soils, the biosphere, and groundwater has become a major concern. This study was carried out on an uncontrolled landfill in the Tadla plain, Morocco’s main agricultural region. The stu...

The use of magnetic technology in irrigation is increasing significantly in the world as it has been established in several research studies that its application on irrigation water can improves crop productivity and even alleviate plant salt stress....

Soil salinity and drought are the two major challenges agriculture is facing in marginal environments, such as desert areas, which limit the growth and productivity of traditional cultivated crop species. In the Sahara Desert of the southern region o...

Insect frass is considered as a sustainable resource for plant nutrition. This new amendment is characterized by a high salinity (EC) which constitutes an issue for its agronomic utilization. The objective of this work is to evaluate the effect of fo...

Wheat occupies a prominent place at the national and international levels. This food crop is considered a main source of human and animal nutrition. Water stress is one of the main causes of the decline in bread wheat production in Morocco. Therefore...

An adapted sustainable management program was used to evaluate lettuce tolerance to salt stress using autochthonous biostimulants (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), and compost). Salinity harmed plant gr...

This study analyzes map irrigation water quality in the region of Skhirat, Morocco. This study involves the evaluation of the physico-chemical quality of the irrigation water using Piper and ULSS diagrams and spatial mapping using GIS. The results sh...

Climate change conditions can strongly influence the kinetics of morphogenetic processes. Our study showed that the total thickness of leaf lamina, adaxial palisade parenchyma, abaxial palisade parenchyma and spongy parenchyma increased significantly...

An innovative air-permeable watertight material (hereinafter “Breathable Sand”) was invented and has been used in various agricultural applications. Proprietary coating and surface modification processes are applied on desert sand particl...

Agriculture in south Europe is facing the negative effect of abiotic stresses such as salinity that mostly affect the seed production and seed quality of traditional crops. Under these conditions, quinoa represent a good alternative to ensure the pro...

Under water insecurity conditions, electromagnetic saline water may be experienced in irrigation. This study examined the impact of electromagnetic saline water on three potato varieties (Spunta, Bellini and Alaska). The trial includes three treatmen...

The maintenance of Moroccan barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivation under rising saline conditions requires investigations to be performed. In the present work, we aimed to test the effect of salt stress on four Moroccan barley varieties (ADRAR, AMIR...

Soil salinity is a worldwide problem that negatively affects soil quality and persistently spreading, especially in arid and semi-arid climate. The present study focuses on the mapping of soil salinity risk in Tadla Plain. To achieve this goal, the a...

The arid climate of the Saharan regions is accentuated even more by the consequences of climate change and environmental threats, thus affecting normal plant development. The salinization of soils is one of the major stresses in the Moroccan Sahara D...

Incubation and germination experiments were carried out to evaluate spent grain, cheese whey, gypsum, and compost for reclamation of sodic soils and enhancing corn (Zea mays L.) germination. Results indicated that all organic amendments effectively r...

Among abiotic stresses, salt stress is the most complicated problem posing a major challenge for maintaining world food supplies as well as food security as it covers 1125 m ha globally and 6.73 m ha in India. It is very essential to increase rice pr...

The adaptation of crops to saline stress conditions generated by changes in rainfall and the current production systems is essential for maintaining many of them and minimizing possible damage or reductions in their productivity. The use of microorga...

Salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses that affect crop production in arid and semiarid areas. The nano-priming can be applied to improve the seeds germination and seedling establishment and enhance plant growth in addition to improving resist...

Salinity is one of the most severe abiotic stresses which causes significant losses to agricultural production, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. In the present study, we conducted a pots experiment to evaluate Phosphogypsum (PG) and Gypsum (G)...

The objective of this study was to evaluate different rates of the liquid sewage sludge fertilizer developed by a treatment plant in Skhirat, Rabat, Morocco on improving soil fertility indicators. The results revealed that the application of liquid s...

In the Mediterranean area, climate change induces an important increase in soil salinity, which threatens crop production. Here, we aimed to test the impact of severe salt stress on the Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) used by Moroccan breeders. Stress w...

Excessive amounts of Na⁺ and soluble salts are characteristics of saline-sodic soils. Loss of soil structure and osmotic stress in plants are negative effects of salinity-sodicity. This study evaluated the effect of cattle manure, biochar and tropica...

The desert truffle (Terfezia) and other truffles (Tuber) have a significant economic and ecological value and are considered as important fungi in Morocco. Desert truffles are important to combat desertification and enhance soil fertility. As these f...