Assessment of Soil Physicochemical Changes Under Contrasting Farming Systems in the Semi-Arid Region of Berkane, Northeastern Morocco

Mourad Bendada; Muhammad Farooq; Mohammad Abdul Momin Siddique; Abderrahmane Hadini; Khalid El Bekkaye; Khalid Chaabane

doi:10.24017/

Authors

Mourad Bendada Laboratory of Agricultural Production Improvement, Biotechnology and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed First University, Box 717, Oujda 60000, Morocco Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1741-9620
Muhammad Farooq Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoud 123, Muscat, Oman. Author
Mohammad Abdul Momin Siddique Department of Oceanography, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, 3814, Bangladesh | University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Vodnany, 38925, Czech Republic. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1869-9334
Abderrahmane Hadini Laboratory of Bioresources, Biotechnology, Ethnopharmacology and Health, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed First University, Box 717, Oujda 60000, Morocco. Author
Khalid El Bekkaye Laboratory of Agricultural Production Improvement, Biotechnology and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed First University, Box 717, Oujda 60000, Morocco. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7577-9977
Khalid Chaabane Laboratory of Agricultural Production Improvement, Biotechnology and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed First University, Box 717, Oujda 60000, Morocco. Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24017/

Keywords:

Farming systems, Soil properties, Zerotillage, Organic management, Organic matter

Abstract

Intensive agricultural practices can accelerate soil degradation in semi-arid Mediterranean regions, yet their effects on soil properties in Clementine orchards of Northeastern Morocco remain poorly documented. To fill this gap, this study investigated how various farming systems influence soil characteristics in the Northeastern region of Morocco. Four farming systems (conventional management, organic management, medium tillage, and no-tillage) were compared in Clementine orchards. In June and July 2024, 60 soil samples (0-15 cm depth) were collected along transects and pooled into three composite samples per system, which were then analyzed for physicochemical properties. Differences were tested by analysis of variance and student–Newman–Keuls, and relationships among variables were assessed using principal component analysis and pearson correlation. Results revealed significant variations in the soil characteristics among the different farming systems. No-till farming exhibited the highest levels of sodium (56.36 mg kg^-1), exchangeable potassium (659.74 mg kg^-1), available phosphorus (159.87 mg kg^-1), and salinity (0.63 g kg^-1). Conventional farming practices had the highest calcium carbonate content (8.22%). Organic farming generally recorded lower values for most parameters, including sodium, organic matter, salinity, and calcium carbonate. In contrast, medium-tillage farming showed the highest organic matter content (3.63%). A significant association was found between zero-tillage and elevated levels of sodium, phosphorus, potassium, and electrical conductivity, whereas conventional farming was primarily associated with higher calcium carbonate content. These findings provide baseline information on how unsustainable agricultural practices affect soil physicochemical properties in semi-arid Mediterranean regions and emphasize the importance of adopting sustainable soil management strategies to maintain soil quality and fertility.

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