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Argan tree (Argania spinosa) is the unique representative of Sapotaceae family in North-Africa. This family is commonly growing in pantropical areas. The current study focused on the diversity of foliage insect associated to A. spinosa, and their seasonality in four sites in Souss region. Insects were trapped using sticky yellow traps installed on each sampled Argan tree. Consequently, 241 morphospecies were identified represented by seven orders. Hemiptera was the most abundant, followed by Diptera and Hymenoptera. However, the remains orders represented only less than 4%. A high taxonomic richness was recorded for Hymenoptera (100 morphospecies) followed by Diptera (70) and Coleoptera (39). Data analysis shows a quantitative dominance of some insects’ families. Within Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae represented up to 80% of total captures. Coccinellidea was the most abundant family of Coleoptera representing over 62%. Among Diptera and Hymenoptera, more than 60% of total abundance was represented only by five families. Argan foliage insects exhibited seasonal variations. Therefore, high significant diversity parameters were recorded during spring. However, the lowest diversity was recorded during summer in Belfaa and during autumn for the other sites. Five trophic guilds were reported. Their abundance was influenced by seasonal variation. Herbivores abundance was highly significant compared to the others trophic guilds throughout all sampling seasons. Except Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann, which infests argan fruits during the two latest stages of maturity, none of its herbivores is known as economic interest to the argan tree. On the other hand, argan trees host a complex structure of functional taxa, including pest regulating (predators and parasitoids) and pollinators.

Siderophores are iron-chelating agents produced by almost all microorganisms in response to iron deficiency. Due to the requirement of iron for cell growth and metabolism, siderophore-mediated acquisition of iron plays a central role in determining the ability of different microorganisms to colonize plant roots and contributes to microbial interactions in the plant rhizosphere. In this study, five new Pseudomonas (Q14B, Q13B, Q7B, Q6B, Q1B), isolated from the rhizosphere of tomato in Morocco, were examined for siderophores production capacity. The results show that all five isolates produced siderophores on both solid and liquid mediums. In liquid medium, the highest level of production is obtained by Q13B (53.8%). Concerning siderophores’ chemical types, the five strains of Pseudomonas produce two types of siderophores hydroxamate and catecholate. It was shown by the peaks of absorbance in the wavelength 495 and between 420-450 nm for catecholate and hydroxamate-type siderophores respectively. The results showed that the production of siderophores is progressively inhibited with increasing concentrations of iron in the medium. The maximum production was obtained with a concentration of 0.5 μM, while the lowest was recorded at 10.0 μM of iron. The results of this study showed that the five Pseudomonas isolates producing siderophores could be potential biological control agents.

Botrytis cinerea, responsible for the gray mold disease of tomato, is one of the main problems in fruit exporting countries. Synthetic antifungals are used for their control. However, these products lead to serious damage to environment ant human. Furthermore, it has developed a resistance towards many of them. Therefore, the use of botanical biopesticides as natural alternatives that are friendly to the environment has increased in the last decade. The objective of the present study is the evaluation of the antifungal activity of extracts of four plants, Marrubium vulgare, Moringa oleifera, Psidium guajava and Casimiroa edulis against B. cinerea and the phytochemical characterization of these extracts. The extraction was carried out by maceration, decoction, and ultrasonic-assisted extraction. The high extraction yields of 18.91%, 31.05%, 33.01% and 24.67% were obtained respectively with maceration for M. vulgare, M. oleifera, P. guajava and C. edulis. Qualitative phytochemical tests revealed the presence of terpenoids in all extracts, while saponosides were present only in a few extracts. The highest contents of polyphenols were noted for P. guajava and C. edulis. Also, the highest flavonoid content was noted for C. edulis and M. oleifera. The evaluation of the activity of the studied extracts against the mycelial growth and the germination of the spores of B. cinerea showed that the extracts obtained by maceration and by ultrasonic-assisted extraction of P. guajava and C. edulis are the most efficient against the mycelial growth with an inhibition percentage of 100% for all the tested concentrations. Similarly, the maceration extract of M. vulgare allowed the total inhibition of the germination of the pathogen spores. Finally, the extracts of M. oleifera were the least effective against B. cinerea.

The cactus is a plant that grows in many rural areas, widely used as a hedge, and has multiple benefits through the manufacture of various cosmetics and other products. However, this crop has been suffering for some time from the attack of the carmine scale Dactylopius opuntia (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae). The infestation can spread rapidly if not treated in the early stage. Current solutions consist of regular field checks by the naked eyes carried out by experts. The major difficulty is the lack of experts to check all fields, especially in remote areas. In addition, this requires time and resources. Hence the need for a system that can categorize the health level of cacti remotely. To date, deep learning models used to categorize plant diseases from images have not addressed the mealy bug infestation of cacti because computer vision has not sufficiently addressed this disease. Since there is no public dataset and smartphones are commonly used as tools to take pictures, it might then be conceivable for farmers to use them to categorize the infection level of their crops. In this work, we developed a system called CactiVIT that instantly determines the health status of cacti using the Visual image Transformer (ViT) model. We also provided a new image dataset of cochineal infested cacti.11 The dataset is open-source and available at: https://github.com/AnasBerka/CactiViT-materials.git Finally, we developed a mobile application that delivers the classification results directly to farmers about the infestation in their fields by showing the probabilities related to each class. This study compares the existing models on the new dataset and presents the results obtained. The VIT-B-16 model reveals an approved performance in the literature and in our experiments, in which it achieved 88.73% overall accuracy with an average of +2.61% compared to other convolutional neural network (CNN) models that we evaluated under similar conditions.

Argania spinosa is among the most important species of the Moroccan forest in terms of ecological, environmental, and socio-economic aspects. However, it faces a delicate balance between regeneration and degradation in its natural habitat. Hence, the efforts to preserve and regenerate argan forests are crucial for biodiversity, soil quality, and local livelihoods, yet they face challenges like overgrazing and climate change. Sustainable management practices, including reforestation and community engagement, are vital for mitigating degradation. Similarly, exploiting the argan tree’s rhizosphere can enhance soil quality by leveraging its rich microbial diversity. This approach not only improves crop growth but also maintains ecosystem balance, ultimately benefiting both agriculture and the environment. This enrichment can be achieved by different factors: mycorrhizae, plant extracts, algae extracts, and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). The benefits provided by PGPR may include increased nutrient availability, phytohormone production, shoot, root development, protection against several plant pathogens, and disease reduction. In this study, the effect of rhizobacteria isolated from the Agran rhizosphere was evaluated on germination percentage and radicle length for Argania spinosa in vitro tests, growth, collar diameter, and branching number under greenhouse conditions. One hundred and twenty (120) bacteria were isolated from the argan rhizosphere and evaluated for their capacity for phosphate solubilization and indole acetic acid production. The results showed that 52 isolates could solubilize phosphorus, with the diameters of the solubilization halos varying from 0.56 ± 0.14 to 2.9 ± 0.08 cm. Among 52 isolates, 25 were found to be positive for indole acetic acid production. These 25 isolates were first tested on maize growth to select the most performant ones. The results showed that 14 isolates from 25 tested stimulated maize growth significantly, and 3 of them by 28% (CN005, CN006, and CN009) compared to the control. Eight isolates (CN005, CN006, CN004, CN007, CN008, CN009, CN010, and CN011) that showed plant growth of more than 19% were selected to evaluate their effect on argan germination rate and radicle length and were subjected to DNA extraction and conventional Sanger sequencing. The 8 selected isolates were identified as: Brevundimonas naejangsanensis sp2, Alcaligenes faecalis, Brevundimonas naejangsanensis sp3, Brevundimonas naejangsanensis sp4, Leucobacter aridicollis sp1, Leucobacter aridicollis sp2, Brevundimonas naejangsanensis sp1, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus. The results showed that Leucobacter aridicollis sp2 significantly increased the germination rate by 95.83%, and the radicle length with a value of 2.71 cm compared to the control (1.60 cm), followed by Brevundimonas naejangsanensis sp3 and Leucobacter aridicollis sp1 (2.42 cm and 2.11 cm, respectively). Under greenhouse conditions, the results showed that the height growth increased significantly for Leucobacter aridicollis sp1 (42.07%) and Leucobacter aridicollis sp2 (39.99%). The isolates Brevundimonas naejangsanensis sp3 and Leucobacter aridicollis sp1 increased the gain of collar diameter by 41.56 and 41.21%, respectively, followed by Leucobacter aridicollis sp2 and Staphyloccocus saprophyticus (38.68 and 22.79%). Leucobacter aridicollis sp1 increased the ramification number per plant to 12 compared to the control, which had 6 ramifications per plant. The use of these isolates represents a viable alternative in sustainable agriculture by improving the germination rate and root development of the argan tree, as well as its development, while increasing the availability of nutrients in the soil and consequently improving fertilization.

Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels is an endemic species to Morocco that has multiple uses. It plays multiple important roles in terms of its botanical, ecological, and economic properties. However, the domestication of this species will open up considerable economic opportunities for Morocco. Here, for the first time, we assessed the effect of different doses of compost and NPK fertilizers on the vegetative growth parameters, biochemical and antioxidant potential of the Argania spinosa plant, and soil properties. Over a two-year period (2022–2023), eight different treatments were applied across two experimental sites. These treatments included the following: T0 (Control), T1 (F1-80.50.70 g NPK/plant), T2 (F1-125.75.100 g NPK/plant), T3 (F2-160.100.140 g NPK/plant), T4 (F2-250.150.200 g NPK/plant), T5 (F1-2.5 kg/plant compost), T6 (F1-5 kg/plant compost), T7 (F2-5 kg/plant compost), and T8 (F2-10 kg/plant compost), with F1 and F2 being the frequencies of application. We compared several doses of fertilizers with no fertilization as a control. The results showed a significant influence of the compost and NPK fertilizer on the vegetative growth parameters. For the Tamjlojt site, the first year is important because treatments T3 and T4 significantly increased height by 71.94 ± 21.15% and 74.31 ± 12.31%, respectively. For the circumference, the results showed a significant improvement by the treatments T4 and T3, and T1 demonstrated the highest gain. For the collar diameter, all treatments showed a significant difference. The most notable difference was observed with treatments T3 and T7 with 115.63 ± 33.88% and 101.09 ± 20.84%, respectively. For the Rasmouka site, the second year was the most important. The treatments with the most important height increase were T7 and T8, with a value of 43.14 ± 10.06% and 36.44 ± 9.95%; the same was observed for collar diameter as a significant increase was found in T8 and T7 with a value of 55.05 ± 15.7% and 54.08 ± 9.64%. For the circumference parameter, the treatments that increased significantly this parameter were T8 and T7 with a value of 53.36 ± 15.11% and 50.34 ± 11.29% in 2023. In addition, the highest content of carbohydrates was recorded for the treatment T3 with a value of 148.89 ± 8.11 (mg EG/g). For phenolic determination, the highest value was 2532 ± 457.13 (µg GAE/mL), shown for treatment T1. For flavonoids, the treatments that showed a significant effect were T1 and T6 with a value of 2261.98 ± 184.61 and 1237.70 ± 95.65 (µg QE/mL), respectively. For the impact on soil properties, the electrical conductivity, at the Tamjlojt site, treatment T1 showed a significant increase to 1139.00 ± 241.30 (ms/cm), while at the Rasmouka site, treatment T8 showed a significant increase to 303.33 ± 9.33 (ms/cm). Concerning organic carbon, all treatments resulted in increased percentages of this parameter in the soil. For the Tamjlojt site, the T7 treatment had a significant positive effect on this parameter with a value of 0.87 ± 0.12%. For the Rasmouka site, the T3 treatment increased the percentage of organic carbon with a value of 1.17 ± 0.07%. In addition, the organic matter content showed an improvement with a value of 2.02 ± 0.12%. As there are no previous studies in Argania spinosa fertilization, this study greatly contributes to our understanding of the benefits of using different fertilizers at different doses, in particular T8 and T7 as organic fertilizers and T3, T4 as chemical ones, on argan growth, the biochemical and antioxidant properties of leaves, and its soil properties.

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.), renowned as the world’s most expensive spice extracted from its stigmas, is an autumn-flowering, sterile triploid geophyte species (2n=3x=24) belonging to the Iridaceae family. It is propagated vegetatively through the development of daughter corms from the mother corm. Low multiplication rates of daughter corms under natural conditions and many biotic and abiotic stresses reduce productivity, thereby restraining the availability of planting material. Thus, the main objective of this work is to improve the vegetative propagation of saffron through tissue culture. The results show that soaking of explants in 0.1% (w/v) mercury chloride (HgCl2) for 10 min is more effective for explant disinfection (95%), with a survival rate of over 85%. Whereas, for the initiation phase, the in vitro culture of whole corms on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0.5 mg /L of 1-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) in combination with 3 mg/L of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) was more effective, resulting in a sprouting rate of 90% with a maximum of 5 sprouted buds per explant. As for the multiplication phase, the highest number of shoots (4 shoots/single shoot explant) was observed on MS medium supplemented with 8 mg/L of BAP in combination with 0.5 mg/L of NAA. The results of this study can serve as a starting point for establishing an efficient and reproducible in vitro regeneration system in order to increase the number of shoots per explant for proliferation and micro-corms formation phases by exploring other culture media with different PGR combinations.

Diversity, spatial patterns and temporal trends of terrestrial arthropod communities in the Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve of Morocco are poorly understood. Arthropods were seasonally sampled using pitfall traps at four sites, three of which are Argan forest ecosystem and one of which is a modern Argan grove. Diversity parameters were seasonally measured. Observation allowed identification of 161 morphospecies belonging to the five classes Chilopoda, Malacostraca, Collembola, Insecta and Arachnida were recorded. Captures were dominated by insects, representing more than 90% of the total trapped individuals. Insecta were the most diversified class (122 morphospecies), followed by Arachnida (33). The three other classes were less diversified with two species each. Among insects, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera were the most diversified groups. Diversity parameters exhibited seasonal variations. The highest arthropod abundance per sample was recorded during spring, while observed richness was higher in spring and summer. Shannon diversity index showed no significant difference among seasons. The composition of terrestrial arthropod communities between sites changed among seasons. A high dissimilarity was reported between the terrestrial arthropod community of Belfaa and those of other sites. The classification of arthropods into trophic guilds shows the importance of both predators and detritivores, which shows a higher abundance in spring and summer. Overall, predators guild richness was higher than others among seasons. This study highlights spatiotemporal diversity composition and structure of terrestrial arthropods community associated with the Argan ecosystem, complementing the unique diversity and proliferation of ecotypes present in Morocco.

Le safran (Crocus sativus L.) est une espèce géophyte triploïde stérile (2n=3x=24) à floraison automnale et appartenant à la famille des Iridacées. Cette plante triploïde se propage par reproduction végétative par la formation de cormes filles à partir des cormes mère, car les fleurs sont stériles et ne produisent pas de graines viables. En fait, de nombreux facteurs entravent la propagation efficace du safran par cette pratique traditionnelle et les faibles taux de multiplication des cormes dans les conditions naturelles réduisent la productivité, limitant ainsi la disponibilité du matériel de plantation. Ainsi, l'objectif principal de ce travail est de tester l'effet des substances humiques (SH) sur la croissance et la multiplication végétative du safran. Les principaux résultats des essais indiquent que les SH améliorent la croissance et le développement du safran, et l'intensité de la réponse dépend de la concentration utilisée et du mode d'application. En fait, le traitement temporaire des cormes avec les SH (50 et 100 ppm) a amélioré la croissance des plantes et des cormes filles mais n'a pas d’effet significatif sur le nombre de pousses et de cormes filles.

Green mold, caused by Penicillium digitatum, is a serious disease of citrus fruit during postharvest. The focus of this study was to evaluate possible biological alternatives to chemical fungicides for P. digitatum control. Four Pseudomonas isolates (Q110B, Q125B, Q112B, and Q004B) were isolated from rhizospheric soil and evaluated for their antagonistic activity against P. digitatum. The in vitro evaluations of these isolates by dual culture revealed an important zone of inhibition after 3 days of incubation at 25 ± 2°C. The Q004B isolate provided a high zone of inhibition in vitro at 45 mm diameter. Four Pseudomonas isolates tested showed antagonistic activity against P. digitatum on orange fruit after 7 days of inoculation under postharvest conditions. Inhibition percentage of P. digitatum on orange fruit ranged from 22 to 85% for Q004B and Q112B, respectively. Regarding the mechanism of action, the four tested isolates produced volatile compounds in vitro with inhibition percentage ranging from 35% to 79%, respectively for Q004B andQ125B. The Q004B isolate caused a high spore inhibition rate of 46%, while Q110B had no effect on spore germination. The four isolates of Pseudomonas produced siderophores in CAS medium. Additionally, Q125B, Q112B, and Q004B showed a positive chitinolytic activity, whereas Q110B provided negative results to the chitinase assay. These isolates represent potential candidates for biological control of citrus green mold and may be effectively used as a sustainable alternative measure to chemical fungicide control.

The cotton leafhopper (Jacobiasca lybica) is one of the polyphagous species and its control is mainly based on chemical treatments, however its bio-ecological parameters are still poorly understood especially under Moroccan conditions. In this work, the population ecology of this leafhopper and the planning of insecticide treatments based on the recorded degree-days (DD) in a citrus orchard and vineyard separated by a windbreak (WB) of Cypress and Acacia were investigated. Leafhopper adults were monitored with five yellow sticky traps for each experimental unit and removed weekly from April to August for identification and counting. The sampling indicated the presence of five peaks of adult flight during 2017 and seven during 2018. Whereas six generations were predicted each year according to DD recorded until mid-August. Leafhopper populations were present on WB plants throughout the study period, and its preference for Acacia over Cypress was observed. During 2018, insecticides used were applied one week after DD predicted new generations on WB plants, and they were also applied on grapes at second, third, fourth and fifth adult peaks. The use of DD to predict the outbreak of new generations is discussed as a promising strategy to manage leafhopper populations below economic thresholds.

La mouche méditerranéenne des fruits (Ceratitis capitata) est considérée comme l’insecte le plus redoutable sur agrumes dans le périmètre irrigué de Moulouya qui est connu principalement par la production d’agrumes notamment la variété de Clémentine de Berkane et Navel. Les résultats de nos investigations durant 2016 auprès de 40 producteurs et exportateurs d’agrumes dans la province de Berkane ont montré que la moitié (53%) des agrumiculteurs sont encadrés par le secteur privé, assurant des visites mensuelles des vergers suivis. Une densité d’un à deux pièges à phéromone est adoptée par les producteurs enquêtés. Les résultats obtenus montrent que 37% de ces agriculteurs distribuent les pièges selon un zigzag au niveau du verger, les surveillent chaque jour et que le seuil d’intervention est en moyenne de 4 mouches par piège par jour, indépendamment du sexe capturé. La moitié des agriculteurs (51%) emploie le piégeage de masse par phéromone, moyennant le piège Ceratrap® avec une densité moyenne de 30 pièges par hectare. La technique des bouchons de paille est employée par 62% des producteurs avec une densité moyenne de 82 pièges à l’hectare. Les traitements chimiques généralisés contre la mouche est la technique de lutte la plus employée par ces agriculteurs, dont 17% uniquement optent pour un traitement localisé. Ces résultats seront exploités pour ressortir les atouts et les inconvénients des approches poursuivies et ainsi initier un programme de recherche futur sur la gestion phytosanitaire de la cératite.

In most breeding programs the pollen donor parents (pollinizers) are characterized by a strong flowering rate and very low fruit set, even after hand pollination. Hence, the notion of pollinizers in the argane species was born, first mentioned, checked, documented and confirmed like in the other conventional tree species. Since the argane tree is completely self-incompatible, the presence of compatible pollinizers is necessary for the fruit set. Indeed, pollinizers need to be selected accurately based on the synchronization of bloom periods and compatibility to receiver trees (females). The pollinizer is essential in any breeding program and as well as for any new orchard plantations. The current study was carried out on 13 argane genotypes including two pollinizers. The flowering period, bloom phenology, floral structure and fruit set of crossed genotypes were monitored, illustrated and a season phenogram was established. The pollen viability and germination were also evaluated. Concerning compatibility trials, the hand pollination, using two selected pollinizers pollens, was compared to open pollination. Then, the compatibility system was monitored and evaluated through the index of self-incompatibility. It has been observed that the flowering periods are genotype depending, that there is one to three blooms during the two years study (2018-2019) and that the argane tree is a tristylous species (Mesostylous, brevistylous and longistylous flowers). The in vitro tests showed that the pollen originated from crossed genotypes were viable and able to germinate. The cross-compatibility rate depends on cross associations and it varies from 39 to 84 %. It was observed, for the first time, that all compatible pollinizers have metaxenic effects of pollen on argane fruit.

Argania spinosa L. Skeels is an endemic species of west-central Morocco, which is characterized by a high diversity of morphological and genetic traits. It constitutes a natural resource for oleo-agro-sylvo-pastoral uses. All conservation and genetic breeding strategies aimed to domesticate argan require a good knowledge of the plant material. However, several studies focused on agronomical, morphological, phytochemical, and molecular characterization, while the cytogenetic aspects were less investigated. The objective of this work is to identify the chromosome number and ploidy level on the national argan collection at the Agadir Regional Agronomic Research Center, Morocco. The determination of the chromosome number was carried out on root tips of germinated seeds collected from five trees genotypes selected on various morphological aspects. As a result, chromosome count on active root tip cells showed variation in the number (2n = 20; 2n = 22; 2n = 24) with a stable ploidy level (2n = 2x) that is confirmed by flow cytometry. These results combine two previous findings (2n=20, 2n=24) and reveal a third existence of twenty-two chromosome. As a conclusion, A. spinosa has three chromosomal numbers which represent the genetic diversity of the chromosomal number that this species exhibits. More studies are required to explain this variation on chromosome numbers for future breeding programs and to avoid incompatibilities.

The production of argan seedlings in nurseries is considered a crucial step for the success of any argan forest regeneration program since it increases the rate of survival and growth. Therefore, the substrate and container play a vital role in argan seedling production, while the use of shade may improve soil moisture and decrease the water stress of the plant. This study aims to determine the effects of these factors and their interactions. For this, the effects of four shade levels (0%, 20%, 40%, and 80%) and six different compositions of the substrate, as well as four different sizes and forms of containers, on argan seedling production were studied for six months under greenhouse conditions, based on analyzing the leaf mineral elements and measuring morphological traits. According to the studied parameters, the results show that 0% and 40% of shade are, respectively, the best shade levels for growth, while the germination rate is higher only in an unshaded compartment (85.28%). Furthermore, the substrate based on peat moss lead to one of the higher germination rates (78.75%) and the finest plants in terms of chlorophyll content, and shoot and root growth, while the largest container (C2) had the best shoot and root growth with 34.34 cm of root length. However, the mineral analysis, mainly the leaf total nitrogen concentration, is correlated with morphological traits. In addition, the cost–benefit analysis study confirmed this finding and valorizes the use of S1 substrate (1/2 black peat and 1/2 blond peat) and a C2 container (volume: 3100 mL) since it is considered the most efficient and economic combination for different shade levels.

The cactus Opuntia ficus-indica L. is widly cultivated in Morocco and has a very an important economic role as a source of food, livestock feed and not forgetting that it is considered to be an income for people in rural communities. This crop is subject to the attack of a serious insect pest, the Dactylopius opuntiae (Cockerell), which sucks the sap from the plant causing huge production losses since its introduction to the country in 2014. The present study investigated the entomopathogenic effect of six fungal isolates {Beauveria bassiana [HASS; RFSL10; SPT 011(a)]; Akanthomyces lecanii [RFSLV; SPT R 215] and Cordyceps farinosa [SPSBI4]} for controlling of both nymphs and adult females of D. opuntiae in laboratory and greenhouse bioassays. Under laboratory conditions, the highest mortality of female D. opuntiae was registered by B. bassiana strain HASS at 108 conidia ml−1 with 100%, followed by B. bassiana strain RFSL10, A. lecanii RFSLV, and C. farinosa SPSBI4 isolates with 98%, respectively, 10 days after treatments. Similarly, the highest level of nymph mortality (100%) was recorded by B. bassiana RFSL10 and HASS isolates at 108 conidia ml1, respectively, 4 and 5 days after application. Under greenhouse conditions, B. bassiana (HASS and RFSL10) and A. lecanii (RFSLV) isolates sprayed alone expressed a higher toxicity on nymphs with 75, 68.5 and 58%, respectively, 12 days after treatments. However, no significant difference was observed in adult female's mortality between different fungal isolates, where B. bassiana (HASS) at 108 conidia ml−1 presented a moderate mortality rate with 55%, 12 days after application. In fact, the combination of black soap (60 g/L) with B. bassiana HASS and RFSL10 and A. lecanii (RFSLV) isolates at 108 conidia ml−1 caused the highest toxic activity on D. opuntiae adult females, with 70.5, 68.75 and 67.65%, respectively. These findings showed that entomopathogenic fungi are promising for developing a biopesticide formulation for the management of D. opuntiae as an adequate and safe alternative to chemical pesticides.

This work deals with Argania spinosa breeding system and its associated pollinators in two different sites located in Souss valley. The main objective of this work was to study the effect of three pollination treatments on the percentage of fruit set of argan tree as well as to determine its potential pollinators. To study the breeding system, three treatments were applied for flower buds. The first treatment is an open pollination for insects and wind, the second one concerns only wind pollination, and the third one is a self-pollination. On the other hand, flower visitors were assessed to evaluate their frequency (F) and their activity rate (AR) which were exploited to calculate the index of visitation rate (IVR = F × AR) for each visitor. Pollen loads were also counted for the main pollinators as well as their foraging behavior. A highly significant fruit set was obtained from insect open pollination compared to the other treatments (p

The rock bed heating system is a more cost-effective concept for storing thermal energy use in greenhouses at night during the cold winter season. This system is considered an environmentally friendly solution compared to conventional heating systems that rely on fossil fuels. Despite the abundance of research on thermal energy-based heating systems, only limited work on climate modeling in greenhouses using rock bed heat storage systems has been reported. To fill this research gap, this study aims to simulate the microclimate in a greenhouse equipped with a rock bed heating system using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. User-defined functions have been implemented to account for the interactions between the plants and the air within the greenhouse. Crop rows and rock bed blocks have been considered as porous media with their dynamic and thermal proprieties. The model’s accuracy was approved by comparing simulated and experimental climate parameter data from the greenhouse. The model’s ability to predict temperature, humidity, and air velocity fields in the greenhouse as well as in the rock bed system during both phases of energy storage and restitution was demonstrated. The thermal, dynamic, and hygric fields were accurately replicated with this numerical model. The growing zone had a vertical temperature gradient between the ground and the greenhouse roof, as well as high humidity. The distribution of temperature fields along the rock bed blocks showed a significant temperature gradient between the air inlet and outlet in the blocks during the two phases of heat storage and restitution. As a result, the model could be useful for sensitivity studies to improve the performance of this thermal storage heating system.

The aim of this research is to profile the chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) extracted from the aerial parts of Origanum elongatum (O. elongatum) and to evaluate its antioxidant, antibacterial and insecticidal activities on Ceratitis capitata adults. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) revealed a total of 27 constituents in EO of O. elongatum, which accounted for 99.08% of its constituents. Carvacrol (57.32%) was a main component, followed by p-cymene (14.70%) and γ-terpinene (9.84%). The antioxidant activity of O. elongatum EO was investigated using DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), FRAP (Ferric reducing antioxidant power), and TCA (the total antioxidant capacity) methods. This EO exhibited a remarkable antiradical and reducing power against DPPH (IC50 = 2.855 ± 0.018μL/mL), FRAP (EC0.5 = 0.124 ± 0.013µL/mL) and TCA (IC50 = 14.099 ± 0.389 mg AAE/g of the EO). The antibacterial tests in vitro, using the disc and dilution methods, were carried out on nine pathogenic bacteria isolated from the hospital patients, such as Enterococcus faecalis, Serratia fonticola, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinétobacter baumannii, Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella pneumoniae sensible, E.coli sensible, E.coli resistante, and Enterobacter aerogenes. The EO demonstrated a considerable antibacterial activity with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) from 2 to 8 µL/mL against all strains except Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 32 µL/mL). Regarding the insecticidal activity, the fumigation test indicated a high efficacy (100% mortality), and a lethal dose of LD50 = 17 ± 0.53 μL/L air was found after 24 h of exposureTherefore, O. elongatum EO could be utilized as a natural antioxidant, antibiotic and biopesticides.

The present work was aimed to study the toxicity of the essential oils of three aromatic and medicinal plants on the tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta and the Medfly Ceratitis capitata as an alternative to conventional pesticides. We carried out a phytochemical and insecticide study of T. zygis L., S. officinalis L. and M. suaveolens Ehrh. essential oils (EOs) through the study of their chemical composition and their toxicity on C. capitata adults and T. absoluta larvae. The extraction of the EOs by hydrodistillation showed yields of 3.87 ± 0.03, 4.09 ± 0.23 and 4.35 ± 0.11 for T. zygis, S. officinalis L. and M. suaveolens Ehrh., respectively. The identification of the chemical composition of the EOs by GC/MS showed that oxygenated monoterpenes constituted the most abundant group for all the extracted EOs. The major compounds were rather diversified depending on plant species. In fact, the S. officinalis L. EO mainly contained trans-thujone (21.80 %), the M. suaveolens Ehrh. EO mainly contained piperitenone oxide (71.19%), and carvacrol (61.60%) was the main component of the T. zygis L. EO. An insecticidal effect was observed for the three studied EOs on C. capitata adults and T. absoluta larvae. The observed LD50 values were 0.80 µL/mL and 11.04 µL/mL for M. suaveolens and S. officinalis, respectively, on T. absoluta larvae. For C. capitata adults, the obtained LD50 values were 0.9 µL/mL and 11.78 µL/mL for M. suaveolens and T. zygis, respectively. The presented findings could contribute to the development of biopesticides for plants as a component of integrated pest management strategies in citrus and tomato crops.

Recently the introduced mealybug, Dactylopius opuntiae, has been the most devastating insect of cactus in Morocco. The cochineal has spread to many regions of the kingdom and caused enormous socio-economic and environmental losses. To control this threat, predatory potential of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri was investigated under laboratory conditions at 26 ± 2°C, 60 ± 10% RH and 12:12 h L:D regime. In this study, the experiments were conducted in choice feeding tests (D. opuntiae second instar, first instar nymphs and eggs were offered simultaneously). C. montrouzieri adults and fourth instar larvae were the most feeders’ predators on different stages of D. opuntiae. Manly’s preference index values showed that all predator stages preferred younger stages of mealybug (αp < 0.5) (negative switching). Furthermore, studies on development time showed that egg, larvae, prepupal, pupal and adult stages duration in days were 3.60 ± 0.67, 4.05 ± 0.90, 4.45 ± 0.85, 5.48 ± 0.91, 8.15 ± 0.36, 1.48 ± 0.60, 10.80 ± 0.65, and 103.3 ± 2.37, respectively. The results of this study showed that C. montrouzieri has the ability to be used as a predator of D. opuntiae in Morocco.

Dactylopius opuntiae (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) is the most important pest of prickly pear cactus Opuntia ficus-indica in Morocco in recent years. In order to identify the natural enemies associated with this pest, and determine their population fluctuations, samplings were carried out at two distinct areas, sampling area 1: Zemamra in the Sidi Bennour region (120 km north-west of Marrakech), Morocco and sampling area-2: Gharbia in the same region. 15 species were found and identified: Episyrphus balteatus de Geer, Eupeodes corollae Fabricius (Diptera: Syrphidae), Hyperaspis campestris (Herbst, 1783), Scymnus interruptus (Goeze). Scymnus loewii, Nephus redtenbacheri (Mulsant, 1846), Scymnus latemaculatus, Scymnus guttulatus LeConte, Exochomus nigripennis (Erichson, 1843), Coccinella septempunctata (Linnaeus, 1758), Hippodamia convergens, Chilocorus bipustulatus (Linnaeus, 1758), Chilocorus politus (Mulsant, 1850) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and Emmelina monodactyla (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae). Hyperaspis campestris was found to be the most important specie associated with D. opuntiae in study area-1 and Chilocorus bipustulatus in study area 2.

In agroecosystems, soil biodiversity is increasingly becoming more recognized as providing benefits to both plants and human health. It performs a wide variety of ecological services beyond the recycling of nutrients to plant growth and manage pests and diseases below the economic injury level. This study investigated the effects of three Pseudomonas isolates (Q172B, Q110B and Q036B), isolated from untreated tomato rhizospheric soil, as a biological control agent of Bemisia tabaci which is a key pest of tomato crops. The study was conducted under laboratory and glasshouse conditions and the water treatment was used as a control. Adult mortality rates were assessed during three days at 24h interval and larva mortality rates were evaluated during six days after treatment at 48h interval. Results indicate that Q036B isolate has a faster effect on B. tabaci adult and larvae. Under laboratory conditions, all three Pseudomonas isolates (Q110B, Q036B and Q172B) have a significant effect on B. tabaci adult mortality compared to control. The earliest and the most important mortality rate of 76% was recorded by Q036B. Two isolates Q036B and Q110B caused a significant mortality on B. tabaci larvae; with highest mortality effect (79%) was observed for Q036B compared to control. However, Q172B has no mortality effects on B. tabaci larvae under laboratory conditions. In glasshouse conditions, only Q036B provided high mortality rates of 91% at 168h after treatment. The results of this study indicate that the Pseudomonas isolate Q036B significantly suppresses B. tabaci in tomato plant and could substitute the excessive use of chemicals. Current research indicates that soil biodiversity could be promising to preserve agro-ecological sustainability.

Au Maroc, l’évolution de l’industrie horticole est étroitement liée à la modernisation et l’optimisation des facteurs de production. Cependant, la serre horticole est un élément indispensable pour la production des primeurs en agriculture protégée. En effet, la connaissance des types de serres, leurs composantes, la distribution de leurs microclimat intérieur en relation avec l’évolution du climat à l’extérieur et son impact sur la productivité et la dynamique des maladies et ravageurs sous serre est indispensable. Les serristes peuvent ainsi exploiter ces informations pour améliorer leur conduite technique et climatique des cultures sous un microclimat fluctuant et adopter les solutions techniques efficaces pour gérer l’impact du climat sur la production des cultures abritées (lumière, aération, ombrage, chauffage, climatisation et injection de CO2...). Mots clés: Serre horticole, Microclimat, production de primeurs, conduite climatique.

En horticulture moderne, l’utilisation des modèles de croissance des plantes est très importante. En raison de la complexité des facteurs et leurs interactions, notre niveau d’analyse et de prise de décision s’améliorent progressivement en fonction de la qualité du modèle et de son calibrage avec les conditions locales. Dans la région d’Agadir, les producteurs de tomate se basent sur leur expérience pour prendre les décisions sur l’exploitation et généralement la composante qualité de l’environnement reste le point noir de cette approche. Dans notre étude, nous avons essayé d’exploiter un modèle classique de la production de la biomasse des plantes et d’introduire d’autres équations physiques pour améliorer le rendement du modèle développé et traduire relativement la réalité du terrain. Les résultats ont montré que les modèles élaborés simulent correctement l’accumulation de biomasse chez la tomate conduite sous serre Monochapelle. Cependant, leur efficience a été améliorée par l’introduction de facteurs climatiques clés intervenant dans l’amélioration de l’environnement de la serre. Ainsi, en périodes climatiques défavorables pour la croissance de plantes (périodes estivale et hivernale), les serristes peuvent se baser sur les données du rayonnement net pour simuler l’accumulation de la biomasse et avoir une estimation des pertes de production et des dépenses y affectées. De même, l’exploitation des modèles de prévention contre les bio-agresseurs sous serre est un autre moyen d’alimenter les modèles testés afin de développer un modèle global plus robuste et qui intègre un maximum de données nécessaires pour produire des informations de prise de décision pour s’inscrire dans une logique de gestion d’une production horticole raisonnée et durable. Mots clés: Modèle de biomasse, environnement de la serre, production durable, dépenses, bio-agresseurs, tomate.

The argane tree (Argania spinosa L.) is a mostly self-incompatible species that must be cross-pollination. However, the cross-pollination is often insufficient to obtain a desirable fruit yield in the absence of compatibility between the orchard’s argane trees. Proper pollination design is therefore essential to ensure a supply of compatible pollen. In this study, pollen germination and pollen development following cross- and self-pollination were investigated in A. spinosa. The choice of compatible parents or a pollinizer is currently a new research topic for the production of argane fruits in the framework of argane farming programs. Different pollination experiments were designed with two main objectives: (i) to study cross/self-(in)compatibility in the argane tree, and (ii) to determine the degree of compatibility between selected superior genotypes for pollination strategies to improve fruit set in argane orchards. Thus, to determine if a pollination deficit exists, experiments were carried out on 14 genotypes, and 5421 flowers served as sampling. The germination rate of pollen was lower than 50% for three genotypes, and only four genotypes bloom twice a year. From cross-pollination trials, traits related to the mother trees, such as the shape of the fruit and fruit ripening duration, are not influenced by the gene flow transmitted by pollens. Self-pollination was very low (0.2%) for both hand- and free self-pollination but the highest fruit set rate observed was 5.3%. Based on the pollen effect study results, it can be concluded that different pollen sources affected the fruit set. Thus, the choice of an efficient pollinizer genotype must be inter-compatible with the main variety, bloom at the same time, and be regular (no alternation). This is the first time that a pollinizer tree was reported and studied for argane. To meet future argane farming requirements, the number and location of compatible pollinizers is very important in the argane orchard design. This design of pollination remains to be checked by alternately planting a row of pollinizer trees or inter-rows with main varieties.

Plant parasitic nematodes (PPN) are one of the major biological constraints in various economically important crops across the world. The use of nematicides as an effective means for the control of PPN can be environmentally hazardous. Alternatively, the utilization of organic amendments has been proposed as a suitable and economically feasible method for managing plant parasitic nematodes. In this review we provide information from across multiple studies on the use of soil organic amendment as a promising approach for suppressing plant parasitic nematodes, enhancing plant productivity, and promoting global food security.

Afin de disposer d’informations et de données sur le bilan d’azote de différents types d’exploitations agricoles de la région du Souss-Massa, la méthode du bilan apparent a été utilisée dans cette étude. Les termes du bilan sont exprimés par hectare de surface Agricole Utile (SAU) à travers la différence entre la Somme des Entrées (kg N/ha/an) et la Somme des Sorties (kg N/ha/an). Les bilans des différents systèmes de cultures ont montré une différence très hautement significative entre eux. De même, les excédents (bilans) d’azote moyens sont très disparates entre types d’exploitations allant de 23 kg N/ha/an en céréaliculture extensive associée au maraîchage vivrier à 1026 kg N/ha/an pour le système caractérisé par le maraîchage intensif diversifié (tomate, melon, haricot vert, poivron, concombre) ainsi que le système composé de bananier et du maraîchage intensif diversifié (tomate, pastèque, melon) qui ont enregistré chacun un excédent en azote élevé (environ 1000 kg N/ha/an). Les systèmes caractérisés par une monoculture intensive de tomate sous-serre, les agrumes et le maraîchage intensif diversifié, sont similaires et ont enregistré un excédent moyen de l’ordre de 270 kg N/ha/an. Le bilan azoté est fortement corrélé aux entrées (r= 0,98***) et aux sorties (r= 0,94***). Les résultats ont aussi montré que l’utilisation des engrais azotés et l’irrigation non raisonnées reste le principal facteur déterminant dans la pollution nitrique de la nappe, vue que le surplus en azote est généralement lessivé des sols sableux de faible capacité de stockage. Mots clés: Bilan d’azote, systèmes de culture, fertilisation azotée et pollution nitrique.

Cette étude présente une comparaison de la performance de quatre modèles d’estimation de l’évapotranspiration journalière (ET) sous serre. Les modèles étudiés sont De Villèle (ETDV), Penman-Monteith (ETPM), Stanghellini (ETST) et enfin le modèle Takakura (ETTK), basé sur l’équation du bilan de chaleur au niveau du couvert végétal. L’étude a été conduite durant deux campagnes de production de la tomate (2012 et 2013), sous deux types de serre (monochapelle et canarienne) localisées au Domaine Expérimental Melk Zhar à Balfae (INRA Agadir). Les modèles ETST et ETPM simulent correctement la transpiration de la tomate aussi bien pour les valeurs mesurées que pour le gain journalier de la tige de la tomate (CM/GJ) sous serre Monochapelle (R²= 0,55 et 0,62). Dans le même sens, nous avons dégagé une relation satisfaisante entre l’Eff-TR (l’efficience de transpiration de la plante) et le rapport CM/GJ en utilisant le modèle ETST, respectivement sous les serres monochapelle et canarienne (R²= 0,67; 0,58). L’étude a identifié des seuils critiques ou bien des bases de référence de l’état hydrique de la tomate: confort hydrique (0,400,46 et Eff-TR>90%). Par ailleurs, la comparaison des moyennes suivant le niveau de rendement a permis de dégager 3 groupes de modèles ET; ETST (318 t/ha) > ETTK (272 t/ha) > ETDV~ETPM (236-249 t/ha). Mots clés: Modèle d’évapotranspiration, Tomate sous serre, gain journalier de la tige, efficience de transpiration, état hydrique de la plante, rendement.

The two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) is an important pest of many horticultural crops. A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of three fluorescent Pseudomonas isolates obtained from rhizospheric soil of tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) in Agadir, Morocco: Q110B, Q036B and Q172B, as potential biological control agents for T. urticae. Both acaricide and repellent activities were assessed on homogenous adult mites. The acaricidal activity test evaluated five concentrations of bacterial suspensions: 0 (control), 102, 104, 106, 108, and 1010 cfu ⋅ ml–1, while only the 1010 cfu ∙ ml−1 concentration of each bacterium was used for the repellent bioassay. The mortality rate and repellentindex were recorded 24, 48 and 72 h after application. Results indicated that the survival rate of T. urticae was reduced (p ≤ 0.01) by all three bacterial isolates compared to control. Within the 24–72 h time period the mortality rates ranged from 8 to 87%, 16 to 99%, and 13 to 89%, for Q110B, Q036B and Q172B isolates, respectively. The isolate Q036B (LC50 = 0.598 cfu ⋅ ml–1) provided higher mortality rates than Q172B and Q110B with LC50 values of 90,846 and 169,585 cfu ⋅ ml–1, respectively. Repellent activity was also the highest with Pseudomonas Q036B having a 71% repellence index at 48 h after application. Regarding the mechanism of action, all three isolates produced hydrogen cyanide, and exhibited protease and cellulose activities, although only Q036B and Q172B had potential chitinase action. Identification analysis showed that the isolates were either Pseudomonas putida (Q172B) or P. fluorescens (Q110B and Q036B). Our results indicate that the P. fluorescens isolate Q036B is a promising candidate for biological control of T. urticae, and has potential to contribute to an integrated pest management program to control this important pest. Then the fruits produced will be qualified as safe for consumers and the environment. The present work was customized to give support for policy decision makers as an agroecological potential meeting needs of industries and ecological balance.

The carmine cochineal Dactylopius opuntiae (Cockerell) is the major insect pest of the prickly-pear cactus Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) in Morocco. The present study investigated the insecticidal activities of six essential oils (EOs) against nymphs and adult females of D. opuntiae applied singly or in combination with a detergent under laboratory and field conditions. Under laboratory conditions, M. pulegium and O. vulgare L. essential oils showed a high level of insecticidal activity at 5%, with 98% and 92% females’ mortality, respectively, 5 days after treatments. The M. pulegium and O. vulgaris oils at 5% applied in combination with black soap at (60 g/L) induced the highest toxic activity on adult females, 100% and 96% at 5 days after treatments, respectively. Under field conditions, M. pulegium and O. vulgare oils at 5% in combination with black soap (60 g/L) showed the highest adult female mortalities with 96.33 and 92.56%, respectively, 7 days after the first application. The double application of M. pulegium oil at 5% significantly increased the mortality of adult females up to 91%, 5 days after the second spray. GC-MS analysis revealed that the most abundant constituent of M. pulegium and O. vulgare oils was pulegone (84.69%) and durenol (76.53%), respectively. These findings showed that the use of M. pulegium and O. vulgare in combination with black soap or in double sprays could be incorporated in the management package for the control of the wild cochineal D. opuntiae, as a safe and natural alternative to chemical insecticides.

Climate change is having a tremendous influence on world food production, with arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas especially susceptible. In these areas, locally adapted crop varieties or landraces can be used to mitigate the influence of climate change on current and future food security challenges. The high genetic diversity within these populations allows for crops to adapt to changing environments or other stresses that influence growth and productivity. Thus, local Moroccan melon (Cucumis melo) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) landraces were compared to pure-line varieties in southwestern Morocco to identify their adaptability and possible ability to mitigate current and future climate change. Results indicated that the melon and watermelon landraces evaluated most likely could help mitigate yield losses from climate change in this area of Morocco. ‘AitOulyad’, a local muskmelon type, and ‘Rasmouka Ananas’ were both outstanding melon landraces with high plant vigor and yields. For watermelon, ‘AitOulyad’ had extremely high yields but had high numbers of seed in the flesh, while ‘Rasmouka’ had a lower yield, fewer seeds in the flesh, and a higher fruit consistency. This research indicates that melon and watermelon landraces in this area of southwestern Morocco with a semi-arid to arid climate will continue to play a major role in crop adaptation to maintain high productivity under a rapidly changing environment.

Les nématodes phytoparasites constituent l’un des principales contraintes biotiques dans la production de différentes cultures dans diverses régions du monde. L’utilisation de nématicides comme moyen efficace de lutte contre les NPP peut être dangereuse pour l’environnement. Alternativement, l’utilisation des amendements organiques a été proposée comme méthode appropriée et économiquement réalisable pour la gestion des nématodes phytoparasites. Dans ce travail, nous fournissons des informations provenant de multiples études sur l’utilisation de l’amendement organique du sol comme une approche prometteuse pour supprimer les nématodes phytoparasites, améliorer la productivité des plantes et promouvoir la sécurité alimentaire mondiale. Mots-clés: Nématodes, amendement organique, cultures, nématicides.

Crop domestication and breeding efforts during the last half-century in developed countries has significantly reduced the genetic diversity in all major vegetable crops grown throughout the world. This includes developing countries such as Morocco, in which more than 90% of all farms are less than 10 ha in size, which are generally maintained by subsistence farmers who try to maximize crop and animal productivity on a limited land area. Near Agadir, in the remote Anti-Atlas mountain areas of the Souss-Massa region, many small landowner vegetable growers are known to still utilize crop populations (landraces). Thus, an assessment of the current status of vegetable landraces was made in this mountainous region of Southwestern Morocco during 2014. This assessment indicated that a significant loss of vegetable crop landraces has occurred in the last 30 years in this region of Morocco. Although many vegetable crops are still maintained as landrace populations by small subsistence farmers in remote areas in the Souss-Massa region, only 31% of these farmers cultivated landraces and saved seed in the villages assessed, with the average farmer age cultivating landraces being 52 years old. Moreover, the approximated loss of vegetable crop landraces over the last 30 years was an astounding 80 to 90%. Vegetable crops notably lost during this time period included carrot (Daucus carota), fava beans (Vicia faba), melon (Cucumis melo), pea (Pisum sativum), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), and tomato (Solanum lycopersicon). The most significant loss was tomato as no landraces of this crop were found in this region. The vegetable crop landraces that are still widely grown included carrot, melon, onion (Allium cepa), turnip (Brassica rapa var. rapa), and watermelon, while limited amounts of eggplant (Solanum melongea), fava bean, pea, pepper (Capsicum annuum), and pumpkin (Cucurbita moshata and C. maxima) were found. This recent genetic deterioration will have a profound influence on future Moroccan agricultural productivity, as the genetic diversity within these landraces may be the only resource available to allow these smaller subsistence farmers to cope with changing environmental conditions for the optimization of crop production in their harsh climate.