ICARDA Caravan, Issue No. 20/21

Focus

In Morocco, IPM Options Increase Wheat and
Chickpea Yields

Saadia Lhaloui

Cereals and food legumes are important crops in Morocco cultivated by small- and medium-scale farmers in rainfed areas. While demand for these crops has grown rapidly in the past two decades due to the increased population, the decline in yields is alarming. In addition to the harsh environment, the crops are attacked by a number of diseases, insects, and weeds causing major yield losses. ICARDA and INRA scientists are working with farmers in Morocco to identify solutions.

A lead farmer (extreme left) explaining IPM principles to neighboring farmers in Morocco.

gricultural production constitutes about 20% of Morocco’s gross domestic product and employs 50% of the population. There are about 8.5 million hectares of good agricultural land, of which 90% is rainfed. An estimated 80% of this arable land is used for growing cereals and food legumes, and is mainly arid or semi-arid. The crops suffer low-rainfall and high-temperature stresses, in addition to biotic stresses caused by insects, diseases, and weeds. As a result, the country has recorded an average of 30% yield loss in cereals and food legumes caused by insects and diseases, with cereal grain losses caused by the Hessian fly alone costing an estimated US$ 200 million annually.

The IPM Project
ICARDA has been working with the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Morocco, and other partners to control the weeds, insects and diseases in cereal and legume crops. This has included research on resistant varieties, seed treatment, use of pesticides, and other agronomic practices. Crop production packages that comprise improved cultivars, optimal levels of fertilizers, irrigation, weed control and a selective use of pesticides were developed and recommended to farmers. Initially, results were mixed, with the pests continuing to damage crops, causing major yield losses.

Realizing the need for a holistic approach to pest management in the cropping systems, ICARDA and INRA embarked on an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) project within the context of the CGIAR System-wide Program on IPM. The objective is to enhance cereal and food legume production in the rainfed areas of Morocco by developing a sustainable and ecologically sound IPM program to reduce crop losses caused by major pests and weeds, raise awareness of IPM principles, and increase the incomes of farmers. Using a variety of methods to keep crop damage below the economic threshold without causing adverse effects on the environment, IPM is a sustainable approach to combat pests.

Project Implementation
The project strategy hinged on farmer participatory research, training and learning approaches emphasizing the involvement of farmers, extension specialists and researchers at all stages, especially in the selection of best-bet options. IPM pilot sites were established in farmers’ fields. The sites were located in Abda and Chaouia in central Morocco, where rainfed wheat and chickpea are the major crops in the rotation. In this area, wheat production faces a major pest problem, the Hessian fly, (which in some years causes complete crop failure), and chickpea is attacked by the fungal disease, Ascochyta blight.

In each community, three lead farmers were selected to test five IPM options for wheat and four for chickpea. After consultations with farmers prior to planting, it was agreed that

the IPM options for wheat would include: (i) Hessian fly control, (ii) weed control, (iii) appropriate fertilization, (iv) right planting date, (v) and use of a drill for planting. For chickpea, the IPM options were: (i) improved varieties, (ii) weed control, (iii) use of drill for planting, and (iv) appropriate planting date. These options were tested by farmers, working with researchers and extension specialists, during three planting seasons. The farmers’ sites were used as training areas for neighboring farmers throughout the growing season. These sites were visited by more than 500 farmers. At each occasion, pests were shown to farmers and options of control were discussed in the field using plots and pest damage on the plant as actual visuals. Meetings with farmers and extension agents were organized each year after harvest to discuss the results for the different IPM options, and compare with the yield of the neighboring farmers who followed traditional practices. The year’s exercise as a whole was also discussed and a plan of action for the following season developed.

Wheat IPM Options
Farmers learned that the time of sowing is an important factor affecting grain yield. Reductions in yield with delayed sowing were attributed to hastened crop development with low dry matter production, and, to a greater degree, to moisture stress. The other major yield limiting factor was the higher incidence of Hessian fly attacks on late-sown susceptible cultivars as compared to early-sown ones.

The use of resistant cultivars gave a two-fold yield increase over the susceptible ones at the early planting date, while it was up three-fold for the late planting date. The best IPM option produced 2248 kg/ha wheat in one of the pilot sites, and averaged 1631 kg/ha over all sites and 800 kg/ha in the region. This 100% increase was mainly due to the wheat varieties resistant to Hessian fly, and early planting.

The early-planting date and seed of the Hessian fly-resistant varieties caused no extra cost to the farmer; therefore, adoption of the IPM practices increased wheat yields at no added cost to the farmer.

A simulation study on the adoption of Hessian fly-resistant varieties, where overall benefits and costs were calculated using a reasonable, least-favorable case, gave an internal rate of return of 39%. Considering that the adoption rate of newly released varieties is about 90%, it is predicted that Hessian fly-resistant varieties will significantly increase wheat production, and the country should recover the estimated US $200 million lost annually due to the Hessian fly. Similarly, expected adoption of the proposed IPM practices will positively impact national cereal and food legume crop production over the long term. The benefits are likely to be even more because the project promotes more IPM options than those for Hessian fly control.

Chickpea IPM Options
Using best-bet IPM options improved chickpea yields significantly. Major gains were registered when a combination of winter planting, Ascochyta blight tolerant variety and early weed control was utilized, compared to traditional spring planting. Grain yields varied from 730 to 1295 kg/ha (average of 945 kg/ha). For conventional spring planting, they varied from 130 to 670 kg/ha (averaging 350 kg). Therefore, an earlier sowing date (from spring to winter) using an adapted chickpea variety increased yields from two- to four-fold or more.

Scientists discussing the benefits of IPM with farmers in Morocco during a field day.

Significant yield improvement of chickpea in the region can, therefore, be obtained from adoption of winter chickpea technology particularly in drier years compared to traditional spring planting. Spring planting exposes the crop to drought at all stages of growth and development, whereas with winter planting, the drought comes only in the later stage, when the crop has already produced yield.

However, winter planting of chickpea predisposes the plants to higher infestation by weeds and unless there is adequate weed management, yields can be drastically reduced. The project considers weed and nutrient management in chickpea as strategic within a cereal-based system. Weed control using pre-emergence herbicides appears to be one of the main components of winter-chickpea technology. Yield increases ranged from 20 to over 100%, depending on the site, within winter chickpea planting treatments. Controlling weeds early reduces competition for the limited water and nutrients that contributes to increased chickpea yields.

Scaling Up IPM
The project IPM approach has been adopted in other regions of the country including Sais, Zaer, and Gharb. In the Sais region, the approach has been applied to control Orobanche, a devastating, parasitic weed on faba bean.

One of the pilot-site farmers established a crop protection company, offering pest management services to the whole Chaouia region. In addition, other projects have adopted the farmer participatory approach, benefiting from the lessons learned in the IPM project.

The success of the pilot sites has attracted many visitors including the World Bank President, ambassadors, senior Morocco Government officials and the media.

Lessons Learned
Farmers’ fields became learning and training places. They were laboratories where concepts of pests, natural enemies, weeds, plant resistance, seed-borne diseases, cultural practices, and many other IPM-related concepts were examined and demonstrated. This process enhanced farmers’ crop management skills and consolidated their role in sustainable and environmentally-sound farming.

Farmers’ involvement in this project empowered them; they were active participants and not merely contacts for helping scientists in their research work. It also enabled the researchers to establish a process that integrated both technical and socioeconomic aspects, and ensured its implementation, because farmers were involved in the process from the beginning.

Dr Saadia Lhaloui (lhaloui@hotmail.com) is the IPM Project Coordinator at Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - CRRA, Settat, Morocco.

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