Constraints and Opportunities of Direct Seeding mechanization to promote 1 M ha Conservation Agriculture in Morocco

Abstract

Conservation Agriculture (CA) is an alternative for sustainably improving the productivity of agricultural land in rain-fed areas, especially for field crops. The results of research conducted since last decades by ICARDA and other research NARS teams have demonstrated that CA (including Direct seeding) is an appropriate technology for adaptation to climate change. After more than 40 years of research on CA in Morocco showing the several benefit of this system, but the adoption is very low (less than 1 % of cereal areas). Based on the collaboration between ICARDA, INRA and other partners to promote CA, the government of Morocco adopted in 2021 a large-scale CA program, under the new National Generation Green strategy (2021-2030). ICARDA and One CG are asked to support this largescale adoption of CA scaling plan in Morocco to strengthen the sustainability of the cereal system and to improve the health of agricultural soils in Country.