Technologies

Diversified Cropping System: Relay Intercropping of Lentils with Chickpeas [Morocco]

technologies_6416 - Morocco

Completeness: 84%

1. General information

1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Key resource person(s)

Agronomist:

Devkota Mina

International Center of Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)

Morocco

Research Team Leader - Soils, Waters and Agronomy:

Vinay Nangia

International Center of Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)

Morocco

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)
ICARDA Institutional Knowledge Management Initiative {'additional_translations': {}, 'value': 1140, 'label': 'Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)', 'text': 'International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) - Lebanon', 'template': 'raw'}

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

1.4 Declaration on sustainability of the described Technology

Is the Technology described here problematic with regard to land degradation, so that it cannot be declared a sustainable land management technology?

No

2. Description of the SLM Technology

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

A Diversified Cropping System (DCS) results in a more resilient and productive cropping system. In this case, chickpeas were introduced as a relay intercrop between established lines of lentils. This not only had no negative effect on lentil yields, but also enabled the harvest of an extra crop: chickpeas.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

In the semi-arid regions of Morocco, agricultural production varies from year to year, but yields are generally declining because of climate change. Climate change is leading to more irregular rainfall and frequent extreme weather events. Wherever possible, there is a need to intensify agricultural systems to ensure food security while simultaneously increasing resilience.
Cultivating lentils (Lens culinaris) as a sole crop is common practice in rural Morocco. To intensify this cropping system, the International Centre for Agricultural Research Dry Areas (ICARDA) introduced chickpeas (Cicer arietinum) as a relay intercrop into the common lentil production system. Because chickpeas are planted within an already growing crop of lentils, this form of intercropping is termed "relay planting". Importantly, chickpeas do not affect the yields of lentils (0.837 + 0.19 t ha-1 yield in sole vs. 0.808 + 0.159 t ha-1 in intercrop) because they do not significantly compete for water and nutrients. With two crops harvested from the same piece of land, overall farm profits increase. Furthermore, this creates a more resilient production system because the farmer is not dependent on a single crop. Additionally, including chickpeas as a relay-intercrop extends the cropping season and prolongs the period where the soil is covered, consequently protecting it from degradation. An added advantage is that both chickpeas and lentils are leguminous, nitrogen-fixing crops that can improve soil fertility. Also, both crops have high cultural and culinary value locally. However, the technology has potential drawbacks as in years of extreme droughts, chickpeas require supplementary irrigation, especially during establishment. This is often unavailable to local farmers and may result in poor crop establishment and low yields.
In 2020-2022, ICARDA tested this Diversified Cropping System (DCS) on a trial field of half a hectare, in an area with average annual precipitation of 390 mm (based on 40 years of data). The system is implemented as follows. First, the field is prepared by ploughing. In December, lentils are mechanically seeded. Two rows of lentils are planted 15 cm apart. The spacing between each two-row pair is roughly 90 cm. Compound fertilizer is applied during seeding. In January, an herbicide is sprayed to control grassy weeds. The field is mechanically weeded twice, in mid-January and then again in February. Chickpeas are sown at the end of February also in paired lines (two rows 20 cm apart) also with compound fertilizer. Each pair of chickpea lines is planted between pairs of lentils. In March, the plots are manually weeded, and in April, the lentils are manually harvested and mechanically threshed. A single spray of insecticide is applied in April-May. Finally, in June, the chickpeas are mechanically harvested and have an average yield of 1.1 + 0.146 t ha-1.
This documentation illustrates an ICARDA innovation that is accessible since there are no establishment events and costs. This Diversified Cropping System improves a traditional system by introducing an additional crop, resulting in higher farm income and resilience to variable weather.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

Country:

Morocco

Region/ State/ Province:

Khémisset Province

Further specification of location:

Merchouch

Specify the spread of the Technology:
  • applied at specific points/ concentrated on a small area
Is/are the technology site(s) located in a permanently protected area?

No

2.6 Date of implementation

Indicate year of implementation:

2021

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:
  • during experiments/ research

3. Classification of the SLM Technology

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

  • improve production
  • adapt to climate change/ extremes and its impacts
  • create beneficial economic impact

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

No


Cropland

Cropland

  • Annual cropping
Annual cropping - Specify crops:
  • legumes and pulses - lentils
  • chickpeas
Number of growing seasons per year:
  • 1
Is intercropping practiced?

Yes

If yes, specify which crops are intercropped:

Chickpeas

Is crop rotation practiced?

No

3.3 Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?
  • No (Continue with question 3.4)

3.4 Water supply

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:
  • rainfed
Comments:

By default, it is rainfed, unless there are droughts, in which case supplementary irrigation is introduced.

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

  • improved ground/ vegetation cover

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

agronomic measures

agronomic measures

  • A1: Vegetation/ soil cover
management measures

management measures

  • M2: Change of management/ intensity level
  • M4: Major change in timing of activities

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

soil erosion by water

soil erosion by water

  • Wt: loss of topsoil/ surface erosion
soil erosion by wind

soil erosion by wind

  • Et: loss of topsoil

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:
  • reduce land degradation

4. Technical specifications, implementation activities, inputs, and costs

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

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Technical specifications (related to technical drawing):

The symbols correspond to the following technical specifications:

A: Spacing between a row of lentil and a row of chickpea= 35 centimetres
B: Spacing between two rows of lentil in the same pair = 15 centimetres
C: Spacing between two rows of chickpea in the same pair = 20 centimetres
D: Spacing between two rows of lentil bordering a pair of chickpea= 90 - 95 centimetres

Author:

Fatma Rekik

Date:

05/09/2022

4.2 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:
  • per Technology area
Indicate size and area unit:

1 Hectare

other/ national currency (specify):

Moroccan Dirham

If relevant, indicate exchange rate from USD to local currency (e.g. 1 USD = 79.9 Brazilian Real): 1 USD =:

10.63

Indicate average wage cost of hired labour per day:

75

4.3 Establishment activities

Comments:

Chickepeas and lentils are annuals and they are cropped once a year under the conditions in question. As such, the above activities are listed under establishment (because they are only done once for every cropping season)

4.5 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

Activity Timing/ frequency
1. Field Ploughing Prior to seeding
2. Lentil Seeding December
3. Fertilizer Application (Lentil) During seeding
4. Herbicide Application (Lentil) January
5. First Mechanical Weeding (Lentil) Mid January
6. Second Mechanical Weeding (Lentil) Mid February
7. Chickpea Seeding End of February
8. Fertilizer Application (Chickpea) During seeding
9. Fungicide Application (Lentil) February-March
10. Manual Weeding (Chickpea) March
11. Lentil Harvesting April
12. Insecticide Application (Chickpea) April-May
13. Chickpea Harvesting June
Comments:

The above activities are listed under recurrent because they are done more than once throughout the cropping season (and according to the need).

4.6 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

Specify input Unit Quantity Costs per Unit Total costs per input % of costs borne by land users
Labour Weeding (Lentil) Person-Days 10.0 75.0 750.0 100.0
Labour Weeding (Chickpea) Person-Days 10.0 75.0 750.0 100.0
Labour Lentil Harvesting Person-Days 10.0 75.0 750.0 100.0
Equipment Plough Machine-Hours 3.0 150.0 450.0 100.0
Equipment Lentil Seeder Machine-Hours 1.0 150.0 150.0 100.0
Equipment Chickpea Seeder Machine-Hours 1.0 200.0 200.0 100.0
Equipment Sprayer Machine-Hours 3.0 60.0 180.0 100.0
Equipment Weeder Machine-Hours 2.0 100.0 200.0 100.0
Equipment Lentil Thresher Machine-Hours 2.0 150.0 300.0 100.0
Equipment Chickpea harvester Machine-Hours 2.5 300.0 750.0 100.0
Plant material Lentil seeds Kilogram 45.0 8.0 360.0 100.0
Plant material Chickpea seeds Kilogram 80.0 15.0 1200.0 100.0
Fertilizers and biocides Herbicide (for Lentil) Litre 1.0 170.0 170.0 100.0
Fertilizers and biocides Insecticide (for Chickpea) Litre 0.25 300.0 75.0 100.0
Fertilizers and biocides Fungicide (for Lentil) Litre 0.5 150.0 75.0 100.0
Fertilizers and biocides NPK 10:20:20 (for Lentil) Kilogram 100.0 3.0 300.0 100.0
Fertilizers and biocides NPK 10:20:20 (for Chickpea) Kilogram 100.0 3.0 300.0 100.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology 6960.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology in USD 654.75

5. Natural and human environment

5.1 Climate

Annual rainfall
  • < 250 mm
  • 251-500 mm
  • 501-750 mm
  • 751-1,000 mm
  • 1,001-1,500 mm
  • 1,501-2,000 mm
  • 2,001-3,000 mm
  • 3,001-4,000 mm
  • > 4,000 mm
Specify average annual rainfall (if known), in mm:

390.00

Specifications/ comments on rainfall:

typical Mediterranean climate with winter rains

Indicate the name of the reference meteorological station considered:

INRA + ICARDA weather data

Agro-climatic zone
  • semi-arid

5.2 Topography

Slopes on average:
  • flat (0-2%)
  • gentle (3-5%)
  • moderate (6-10%)
  • rolling (11-15%)
  • hilly (16-30%)
  • steep (31-60%)
  • very steep (>60%)
Landforms:
  • plateau/plains
  • ridges
  • mountain slopes
  • hill slopes
  • footslopes
  • valley floors
Altitudinal zone:
  • 0-100 m a.s.l.
  • 101-500 m a.s.l.
  • 501-1,000 m a.s.l.
  • 1,001-1,500 m a.s.l.
  • 1,501-2,000 m a.s.l.
  • 2,001-2,500 m a.s.l.
  • 2,501-3,000 m a.s.l.
  • 3,001-4,000 m a.s.l.
  • > 4,000 m a.s.l.
Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:
  • not relevant

5.3 Soils

Soil depth on average:
  • very shallow (0-20 cm)
  • shallow (21-50 cm)
  • moderately deep (51-80 cm)
  • deep (81-120 cm)
  • very deep (> 120 cm)
Soil texture (topsoil):
  • medium (loamy, silty)
Soil texture (> 20 cm below surface):
  • medium (loamy, silty)
Topsoil organic matter:
  • medium (1-3%)

5.4 Water availability and quality

Ground water table:

5-50 m

Availability of surface water:

poor/ none

Water quality (untreated):

poor drinking water (treatment required)

Water quality refers to:

ground water

Is water salinity a problem?

No

Is flooding of the area occurring?

No

5.5 Biodiversity

Species diversity:
  • low
Habitat diversity:
  • low

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Sedentary or nomadic:
  • Sedentary
Market orientation of production system:
  • mixed (subsistence/ commercial)
Off-farm income:
  • less than 10% of all income
Relative level of wealth:
  • poor
Individuals or groups:
  • individual/ household
Level of mechanization:
  • mechanized/ motorized
Gender:
  • women
  • men
Age of land users:
  • middle-aged

5.7 Average area of land used by land users applying the Technology

  • < 0.5 ha
  • 0.5-1 ha
  • 1-2 ha
  • 2-5 ha
  • 5-15 ha
  • 15-50 ha
  • 50-100 ha
  • 100-500 ha
  • 500-1,000 ha
  • 1,000-10,000 ha
  • > 10,000 ha
Is this considered small-, medium- or large-scale (referring to local context)?
  • small-scale
  • medium-scale

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:
  • individual, not titled
  • individual, titled
Land use rights:
  • individual
Water use rights:
  • individual
Are land use rights based on a traditional legal system?

Yes

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

health:
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good
education:
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good
technical assistance:
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good
employment (e.g. off-farm):
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good
markets:
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good
energy:
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good
roads and transport:
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good
drinking water and sanitation:
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good
financial services:
  • poor
  • moderate
  • good

6. Impacts and concluding statements

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

crop production

decreased
increased
Comments/ specify:

Overall crop production increased due to the introduction of an additional crop: chickpeas. No yield reduction was observed in lentils as a sole crop.

risk of production failure

increased
decreased
Comments/ specify:

Due to the introduction of an additional crop: chickpeas, the risk to complete crop failure was reduced since if one crop fails another exists. This increases resilience.
If rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the growing season, farmers will get good harvests for both crops.
If rainfall occurs in the early season and the late season is dry, farmers will get good lentil harvests but not chickpeas.
Alternatively, if rainfall occurs in the late season with severe drought in the early season, farmers may get complete crop failure of lentils but a good harvest of chickpeas.

product diversity

decreased
increased
Comments/ specify:

Through the introduction of an additional crop: chickpeas, the overall system was diversified.

land management

hindered
simplified
Comments/ specify:

The introduction of additional crops increased the complexity of the system and its management. For example, planting in the standing lentil needs specialized machinery.

Income and costs

expenses on agricultural inputs

increased
decreased
Comments/ specify:

Additional planting material, labor and inputs are required for this cropping system. It may also require supplementary irrigation in the case of late-season drought occurrence.

farm income

decreased
increased
Comments/ specify:

Two crop harvests (both grains and straw) instead of one increases farm income.

diversity of income sources

decreased
increased
Comments/ specify:

Two harvests of different crops: chickpeas and lentils instead of one diversified farming income streams. This system also allows employment opportunities outside of the main crop growing period.

workload

increased
decreased
Comments/ specify:

The introduction of an additional crop complexifies the management and therefore increases the workload.

Socio-cultural impacts

food security/ self-sufficiency

reduced
improved
Comments/ specify:

Having two crops, especially protein-rich legumes promoted food and nutrition security.

SLM/ land degradation knowledge

reduced
improved
Comments/ specify:

Soil coverage for longer times due to the introduction of a second crop later in the season highlights its role in reversing land degradation

Ecological impacts

Soil

soil moisture

decreased
increased
Comments/ specify:

There was no significant difference in soil moisture between sole lentils and intercropped lentils (with chickpeas) at the time of lentil harvesting.

soil cover

reduced
improved
Comments/ specify:

Having a second crop later in the season extends the period in which the soil is covered.

soil loss

increased
decreased
Comments/ specify:

Soil coverage mediated by the second crop reduces soil loss due to erosion.

nutrient cycling/ recharge

decreased
increased
Comments/ specify:

Both crops are leguminous meaning that they contribute to the supply of nitrogen to the soil.

6.3 Exposure and sensitivity of the Technology to gradual climate change and climate-related extremes/ disasters (as perceived by land users)

Gradual climate change

Gradual climate change
Season increase or decrease How does the Technology cope with it?
annual temperature increase moderately
seasonal rainfall winter decrease not well

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Biological disasters
How does the Technology cope with it?
epidemic diseases not well
insect/ worm infestation not well

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?
Short-term returns:

positive

Long-term returns:

positive

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?
Short-term returns:

positive

Long-term returns:

positive

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

  • single cases/ experimental
Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?
  • 0-10%

6.6 Adaptation

Has the Technology been modified recently to adapt to changing conditions?

No

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Diversified farm income
Reduces fallow period which helps to improve soil quality
Reduced risk of complete crop failure
Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Improved resilience due to diversified crops

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view How can they be overcome?
Competition for resources (nutrients, water, etc.) between the two crops. Providing supplementary irrigation/ fertilization.
Increased complexity and more labour demands of the system The use of machinery and implementing a seasonal farming plan to distribute the farming tasks throughout the season.
Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view How can they be overcome?
The overall system's higher susceptibility to legume-inflicting pests and diseases Using adequate pest control/ integrated pest management techniques

7. References and links

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

  • field visits, field surveys

The field trial was managed by ICARDA scientists

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

30/04/2021

7.3 Links to relevant online information

Title/ description:

Diversified cropping systems for sustainable intensification of dryland family farming

URL:

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11766/66830

7.4 General comments

This technology is part of a series of technologies on Diversified Cropping Systems that test the incorporation of different crops into lentil production, namely onions (technologies_5992 - Morocco) and quinoa (technologies_5967 - Morocco)

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