Marrakech, 1 December 2015
Aclimas achievements Demonstration and implementation trials
COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE OF WHEAT AND ALTERNATIVE CROPS IN MEDITERRANEAN AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
Nicolas Gualano, Roxana Savin, Hassan Ouabbou, Gustavo A. Slafer Morocco Introduction
Likely Rainfed dominated by < sustainability Mediterranean Cereals (wheat < soil fertility agricultural systems and barley) in > pests pressure monoculture < water & nutrient use efficiency
Alternative crops < yield performance than Food legumes & Canola cereals
· Farmers are reluctant to include them in crop rotation. · Area grown with these crops in the region is still very small.
Crops rotation (traditional cereals & alternative crops) Morocco
Location: Chaouia Ourdigha region, Central Morocco (31°15’N, 07°30’W).
Morocco Morocco
First growing season (2012-2013): Comparison of wheat with alternative crops Three durum wheat varieties (Carioca, Marzak, Vitrico), canola, and food legumes (lentil, chickpea, and vicia) grown at Sidi el Aidi experimental station and farmer’s fields (some species) at ‘high’ N fertilization rate (150 kgN ha-1 of total soil N availability). Rainfed conditions.
Second growing season (2013-2014): Effect of the preceding crop on wheat performance Same 3 durum wheat varieties cropped at Sidi el Aidi experimental station, and farmer’s fields, over all different previous crops (including themselves) and under two contrasting N fertilization rates (50 and 174 kgN ha-1 of total soil N availability). Rainfed conditions. ACLIMAS Morocco 2012-2013 Season Morocco Genotype Site Crop species cultivar Experimental design Demonstration Sidi el Aidi Durum wheat Carioca Rainfed. Large field plots Trial experimental (Triticum durum L.) Marzak (20x45m), conducted under station Vitrico zero-tillage and following Canola (Brassica napus L.) Seven typical agronomic management Lentil (Lens culinaris Bakria in the region. Soil nitrogen Med.) availability=150 kgN ha-1. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum Moubarak CRBD (3 replicates). L.) Vicia (Vicia sativa L.) Guich Implementation Ben Rahal Durum wheat Carioca Rainfed production fields, Trial Canola Seven following typical agronomic management in the region. Soil (Farmer’s Fields) Layout Durum wheat Carioca Canola Seven nitrogen availability=150 kgN ha-1. Souaka Durum wheat Carioca (3 replicates). Canola Seven Hamid Gdana Durum wheat Carioca Oulad Said Durum wheat Carioca Chickpea Jmaa Riah Durum wheat Marzak? Sidi Boumehdi Durum wheat Carioca?
Tamadroust Durum wheat Carioca? ACLIMAS Morocco 2013-2014 Season Morocco
Site Experimental Treatments design Durum Previous Soil N wheat crops* availability
-1 Demonstration Sidi el Aidi Rainfed field plots Carioca Carioca N0 (50 kgN ha ) -1 Trial experiment (15x10m), conducted under Marzak Marzak N1 (174 kgN ha ) al station zero-tillage and following Vitrico Vitrico typical agronomic Canola management in the region. Lentil CRBD (3 replicates). Chickpea Vicia -1 Implementation Ben Rahal Rainfed field plots Carioca Canola N0 (50 kgN ha ) -1 Trial (10x10m), following typical Marzak D. wheat N1 (174 kgN ha ) agronomic management in Vitrico (Farmer’s Fields) the region. (3 replicates). Layout Souaka Gdana Chickpea D. wheat
Tamdroust D. wheat
*Durum wheat (Triticum durum L.); Canola (Brassica napus L.): cv. Seven; Lentil (Lens culinaris Med.): cv. Bakria; Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): cv. Moubarak; Vicia (Vicia sativa L.): cv. Guich Morocco SEA_2012/2013SEA_2013/2014
146 m
Rep 1 Rep 2 Rep 3
Vitrico Chickpea Lentil CARIOCA
MARZAK Canola Marzak Vicia VITRICO
Chickpea Vicia Canola
Lentil Carioca Vitrico 146 m 146
Marzak Vitrico Chickpea
Carioca Canola Carioca
N0 (50Vicia kgN ha-1) Lentil Marzak 20 m 20 N1 (174 kgN ha-1) 45 m Morocco Sidi el Aidi experimental station (Demonstration Trial)
1 mL sampling
Desuniformity
Anthesis (14/03/2014) Different meteorological conditions between experimental years Morocco
Anthesis T.durum 11/03 100 30 90 SEA_2012/13 25 80 (ºC) temp. Mean Air 70 20 60 50 15 40 10 30
Rainfall per decade Rainfall (mm) 20 5 10 0 0 100 30 90 SEA_2013/14 25 80 (ºC) temp. Mean Air 70 20 60 50 15 40 10 30 20
Rainfall per decade Rainfall (mm) 5 10 0 0 Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Anthesis T.durum 14/03 Morocco Durum wheat varieties and alternative crops performance: SEA_2012/2013 Biomass & Grain Yield
Vertical bars indicate +/- SE
7000 7000 SC SC correctedGrainYield
) 6000 6000
1
- (kg (kg ha glucose 5000 5000
4000 4000
3000 3000
- 1
2000 2000 ) Grain Yield Yield ha (kg Grain 1000 1000
0 0 CRC MZK VTR Clz Len Ckp Vic CRC MZK VTR Clz Len Ckp Vic 400 Carioca20000
) 0.5 200 -1 Marzak Carioca
) Vitrico
-1 15000 0.4 Marzak 60 Canola Vitrico Lentil 0.3 10000 (kg glucose ha Canola 40 Chickpea Lentil 0.2 Vicia 5000 Chickpea (mg glucose grain 20
Vicia 0.1
SC corrected
Grain Weight, SC corrected Harvest Index, SC corrected
0 Total Aboveground Biomass, 0 0.0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 30 60 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 (g glu grain/g glu aboveground biomass) 3 -2 Grain Number (grains 10 m ) TT from sowing (ºC d) Vicia Vitrico Lentil Carioca Marzak Canola Chickpea Durum wheat varieties and alternative crops performance: Morocco SEA_2012/2013 Relationships between8000 GY and grain number and grain weight r2=0.82 r2=0.88
6000 Carioca 8000 B.Rahal
) 2
(across T.durum only-1 ) r =0.82 Marzak r2=0.88 O.Said (Ckp)(across canola only) Vitrico B.Rahal 6000 4000 O.Said Carioca Canola B.RahalJ.Riah ) Lentil -1 J.Riah (marzak) Marzak O.Said (Ckp) Souaka Souaka (kg glucose ha Vitrico Chickpea Layout Tamadroust Layout 4000 B.Rahal O.Said 2000 Canola Vicia H.Gdana J.RiahSC corrected Grain Yield J.Riah (marzak) S. Boumehdi Lentil T.durum (farmers) Souaka Souaka Canola (farmers) (kg glucose ha Chickpea Layout 2000 Layout Tamadroust 0 Vicia Chickpea (farmers) H.Gdana SC corrected Grain Yield 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 25 45 65 T.durum (farmers) S. Boumehdi Grain number 3 -2 Canola (farmers) (grains *10 m ) 8000 0 Chickpea (farmers)r2=0.42 r2=0.34 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 25 45 65 (across T.durum only) (across canola only) Grain number (grains *103 m-2) 6000 Carioca
B.Rahal )
-1 Marzak O.Said (Ckp) Vitrico O.Said B.Rahal 4000 Canola J.Riah J.Riah (marzak) Lentil Tamadroust Souaka (kg glucose ha Souaka Chickpea 2000 Layout Layout Vicia
H.Gdana SC corrected Grain Yield S. Boumehdi T.durum (farmers) Canola (farmers) 0 Chickpea (farmers) 0 20 40 60 80 300 400 500 SC corrected Grain Weight (mg glucose grain-1) 20000
) Morocco -1 Carioca 15000 SEA_2012/2013 Marzak 5
Vitrico ) -2 10000 Carioca
(kg glucose ha 4
Canola m 2 Lentil Marzak 5000 Chickpea 3 Vitrico
Vicia Canola SC corrected
Total Aboveground Biomass, 0 2 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 Lentil TT from sowing (ºC d) Chickpea 1
Vicia
Leaf Area Index (m )
-1 0 s 600 -2 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 500 Carioca TT from sowing (ºC d) Marzak 400 Vitrico 300 Canola Lentil 200 Chickpea 70 100 Vicia Carioca 60 0 Marzak 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 Stomatal conductance (mmol m 50 Vitrico TT from sowing (ºCd) Canola 300 40 Lentil
250 Carioca Chickpea
SPAD (CCISPAD units) )
-1 30 Marzak Vicia 200 Vitrico 20 150 Canola 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600
g leaf DM Lentil 2 100 TT from sowing (ºCd)
Chickpea (cm Specific Leaf Area 50 Vicia
0 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 TT from sowing (ºCd) Morocco Durum wheat varieties and alternative crops performance: FARMERS_2012/2013 Farmers Fields
7000 7000 ha (kgglucose Yield Grain corrected SC Layout_y1
6000 6000 )
1 5000 5000 -
4000 4000
3000 3000
Grain Yield (kg ha (kg Yield Grain 2000 2000
1000
1000 -
1 )
0 0
7000 7000 ha (kg glucose SCYield Grain corrected Ben Rahal_y1 6000 6000
) 5000
1 5000 -
4000 4000
3000 3000
Grain Yield (kg ha (kg Yield Grain 2000 2000 -
1000 1000 1 )
0 0 7000 7000 Souaka_y1 ha (kgglucose Yield Grain corrected SC 6000 6000
) 5000 5000
1 -
4000 4000
3000 3000
2000 2000 Grain Yield (kg ha (kg Yield Grain
1000 1000
-
1 ) 0 0 durum wheat canola durum wheat canola Durum wheat varieties and alternative crops performance: Morocco Nitrogen SEA_2012/2013
7000 y = 43.51x - 387.14 SEA Marzak SEA Vitrico R² = 0.8955 6000 SEA Carioca
) 5000 1 - SEA canola 4000 SEA Chickpea 3000 SEA lentil SEA vicia
(kg glucose ha glucose (kg 2000 SC corrected Grain Yield Grain corrected SC 1000
0 0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 Total crop N uptake at maturity (kg N ha-1) Crop Evapotranspiration and Water Use Efficiency Morocco Frontier concept FrontierRESULTSconcept 6000 -1 -1 8000 -1 -1 GY (SEA) = 20.988*ET - 2104.7 22 kg grain ha mmET SC GY (SEA) = 30.142*ET - 2976.2 30 kg glucose ha mmET (French & Schultz 1984) R² = 0.8379 (French &2012/2013 Schultz 1984)
R² = 0.6299 ) 1
- 7000 5000 SC GY (Farmers) = 15.805*ET - 171.6 GY (Farmers) = 4.7454*ET + 807.69 SEA Vitrico R² = 0.5148 SEA Vitrico R² = 0.1674 6000
SEA Marzak Ben Rahal.Clz SEA Marzak
) 1 - 4000 5000
Ben Rahal.Td O.Said.Td Ben Rahal.Td SEA Canola 3000 ( ) 4000 ( ) O.Said.Td Ben Rahal.Clz ( ) ( ) J.Riah.Td SEA Chickpea J.Riah.Td SEA Chickpea 3000
Grain Yield (kg ha (kg Yield Grain Layout.Clz 2000 SEA Canola Souaka.Td Souaka.Clz Souaka.Td Layout.Td SEA Vicia Layout.Td( ) SEA Lentil SEA Vicia ( ) SEA Lentil Tamadroust.Td 2000 Tamadroust.Td H.Gdana.Td Souaka.Clz H.Gdana.Td 1000 S.Boumehdi.Td S.Boumehdi.Td Layout.Clz ha glucose (kg Yield Grain Corrected SC 1000 (•): data points excluded from regression lines 0 0 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 Evapotranspiration during whole crop cycle (mm) Evapotranspiration during whole crop cycle (mm)
25 25
SEA_y1 SEA_y1
)
)
1
1 -
- 20 20 mm mm ET
mm ETmm 15 15
1 1
1 1
- -
10 10
5 5 WUE (kg grain ha (kg WUEgrain
0 ha (kg WUEglucose 0
Vicia
Vicia
Lentil
Lentil
Vitrico
Vitrico
Canola
Canola
Marzak
Marzak
Carioca
Carioca
Chickpea Chickpea Year 1 (2012-2013) Morocco • There were no significant differences in grain yield between the three durum wheat cultivars studied. • Grain yield was higher in all three durum wheat cultivars compared with canola and food legumes crops, even if corrected by synthesis cost (SC) of grain biomass. • This differential performance could be explained in terms of a higher Grain Number m-2 (compared to food legumes) or a higher Individual Grain Weight (compared to canola).
• Durum wheat produced a Total Aboveground Biomass higher than any of other crop species analysed during the whole crop cycle, and presented in general a slightly higher Harvest Index as well. • Leaf Area Index (LAI) was not enough to reach full light interception (i.e. 95%), in any of the crops studied. However, LAI during vegetative stage (until flowering) was systematically higher in D. wheat compared to others crop species. This superior crop light capture could explain the greater biomass production of wheat. • However, at farmer’s fields, canola yields –when corrected by grain quality- were similar to those of durum wheat (farmers yields of wheat were substantially lower than in SEA). • Higher durum wheat grain yields were explained by a superior water consumption during the whole crop cycle (ET, total evapotranspiration) and an increased water use efficiency (WUE, SC corrected grain yield/total ET) compared with canola and food legumes. Morocco Durum wheat varieties performance: SEA_2013/2014 Biomass & Yield
Aboveground biomass at anthesis GRAIN YIELD (across all previous crops) (across all previous crops)
9000 3500 N0 (50 kgN ha-1) 8000 N0 (50 kgN ha-1) N1 (174 kgN ha-1) 3000 N1 (174 kgN ha-1)
7000 ) 1 - 2500
6000
)
1 - 5000 2000
4000 1500
(kg DM ha DM (kg 3000
Grain Yield (kg ha (kg Yield Grain 1000 2000 500
1000 Aboveground biomass at anthesis anthesis at biomass Aboveground 0 0 Carioca Marzak Vitrico Carioca Marzak Vitrico
Averaging across all previous crops, the three cultivars yielded similarly and responded similarly to N Morocco SEA_2013/2014
N0 (50 kgN ha-1) CARIOCA N0 (50 kgN ha-1) VITRICO 3500 3500 N1 (174 kgN ha-1) N1 (174 kgN ha-1)
3000 3000
)
)
1
1
- - 2500 2500
2000 2000
1500 1500
1000 Grain Yiedl(kg ha 1000 Grain Yiedl (kg ha (kg Yiedl Grain 500 500
0 0
Previous crop Previous crop
The response to N was very variable
The effect of the preceding crop was not consistent…
…beyond the fact that when in monoculture, wheat tended to perform better if changing the cultivar 3500 GY = 0,1471x NG+ 1211,5
3000 R² = 0,3776
) 1 - 2500 Grain Yield & GN and GW relationships Morocco 2000 2013/2014 3500 GY = 0,1471xGN + 1211,5
3000 1500 R² = 0,3776 Grain Yield ha (kg
) SEA N0 (50 kgN ha-1)
1 y = 0,2014x + 66,243 - 2500 1000 R² = 0,7369 SEA N1 (174 kgN ha-1) 2000 Farmer's N0 (50 kgN ha-1) 500 1500 Farmer's N1 (174 kgN ha-1)
1000 Grain Yield ha (kg 0 500 0 GY2000 = 0,2121xGN4000 + 34,838 6000 8000 10000 12000 R² = 0,7769 Nº grains m-1 0 0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 Nº grains m-1 3500
GY = 18,132xP1000 + 1648,9
3000 R² = 0,0589
) 1 - 2500
2000
1500
1000 Grain Yield GrainYield ha (kg
500 GY = 17,119xP1000 + 286,05 R² = 0,0516 0 10 20 30 40 50 -1 P1000 (g DW 1000 grains ) 3500 GY = 0,1471x NG+ 1211,5 Contribution of pre-anthesis3000 R² = 0,3776 Morocco
SEA_2013/2014 )
assimilates to grain1 weight - 2500
2000
60 1500 Grain Yield ha (kg y = 0,2014x + 66,243 SEA N0 (50 kgN ha-1) 1000 y = 0,3014x + 28,128
) 50 R² = 0,7369 SEA N1 (174 kgN ha-1) 1
- R² = 0,3644 Farmer's N0 (50 kgN ha-1) 40 500 Farmer's N1 (174 kgN ha-1)
30 0 0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 20 Nº grains m-1
Grain Weight (mggrain 10
0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Post-anthesis growth per grain (mg grain-1) Morocco Durum wheat varieties performance: WUE SEA_2013/2014 Effect of previous crop
Average of 3 durum wheat cvs 14 N0 (50 kgN ha-1)
N1 (174 kgN ha-1) )
1 12 -
10
mm ET mm
1 1 - 8
6
4
WUE (kg grain ha grain (kg WUE 2
0 wheat canola food legumes Group of previous crop Morocco Grain Yield vs. ETc 2013/2014
year2 PC Carioca N0 PC Marzak N0 Mean 3 Td over each PC PC Vitrico N0 two N conditions PC Canola N0 PC Lentil N0 6000 PC Chickpea N0 PC Vicia N0 Demonstration trial PC Carioca N1 PC Marzak N1 (Sidi el Aidi exp. station) 5000 PC Vitrico N1
) PC Canola N1 1 - PC Lentil N1 PC Chickpea N1 4000 PC Vicia N1 BR.PC Td.N0 BR.PC Td.N1 3000 BR.PC Clz.N0 BR.PC Clz.N1 Grain Yield (kg ha (kg Yield Grain LYT.PC Td.N0 LYT.PC Td.N1 2000 LYT.PC Clz.N0 LYT.PC Clz.N1 SUK.PC Td.N0 Implementation trial SUK.PC Td.N1 (farmers sites) 1000 SUK.PC Clz.N0 SUK.PC Clz.N1 GDN.PC Td.N0 0 GDN.PC Td.N1 GDN.PC Ckp.N0 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 GDN.PC Ckp.N1 Evapotranspiration during whole crop cycle (mm) TMD.PC Td.N0 TMD.PC Td.N1 Morocco SEA_2013/2014
16 Water Use Efficiency SEA_y2 N0 (50 kgN ha-1) Effect of previous crop 14 N1 (174 kgN ha-1)
) Mean across 3 durum wheat cv 1 - 12
10
mm ET mm 1 - 8 6 4
2 WUE (kg grain ha grain (kg WUE 0
Previous crop Year 2 (2013-2014) Morocco
• 2013-2014 season was very dry and results must not be extrapolated straightforwardly • For instance, the effect of preceding crop and/or that of N fertilization was likely much more limited than expected
In this context • There was no consistent improvements in wheat productivity due to rotation with legumes or canola (again likely non-extrapolable to “normal” growing seasons) • Lentil seemed to be much poorer as preceding crop, but this may be related to the poor performance of Lentil in Year 1 [??] • Wheat after wheat seemed to have been sensitive to the cultivar: (i) if the farmer grows wheat after wheat, the cultivar should be changed (operatively not easy due to seed saving?) • Even in very dry seasons there may be some responsiveness to N fertilization (consistent with WatNitMED) Thanks for your attention Grazie per l'attenzione شكرا لكم على اهتمامكم