major constraints of forage crops

Forage crops in North Africa: major constraints and opportunities offered by annual and perennial crops

A. ABDELGUERFI1, M. LAOUAR2, A. MEBARKIA3, K. ABBAS4, M. M’HAMMEDI BOUZINA5 et T. MADANI3 1

INA El Harrach 16200 Alger Algérie INRAA El Harrach 16200 Alger Algérie 3 Université de Sétif, 1900 Sétif Algérie 4 INRAA Sétif 1900 Sétif Algérie 5 Université de Chlef, 2000 ChlefAlgérie

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E-mail : [email protected]

Meeting REFORMA, Lodi 24-25/09/12

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Presentation plan Introduction Floristic diversity Most important livestock Situation of forage crops Major constraints of forage crops Interest of certain species Conclusion


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INTRODUCTION p Variety of climates, types of soil and relief characterise North Africa p Several factors have contributed to the spread of a wide floristic variety : è Mediterranean in the north and in north-east; è Atlantic in the west; è Sahara in the south; è Mountain ranges (Rif, Tell, Atlas, Haut Atlas,…) r The North African region is a broad continuum with a Mediterranean climate ; r Bioclimatic nuances give rise to very diverse types of vegetation: forests, maquis, matorrals, meadows, pastures, rangelands, grasslands, steppes, etc.


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FLORISTIC DIVERSITY p The North African flora is particularly rich The number of plant species is very high in the three countries : l Algeria : 3,139 species l Morocco : 3,700 species or more l Tunisia : 2,182 species p The endemism of North Africa is very high

p North Africa is considered as the centre of the genetic diversity of several genera : Avena, Eragrostis, Hordeum, Phalaris, Stipa, Astragalus, Lathyrus, Medicago, Ononis, Vicia, Trifolium…


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The special capacities of these phytogenetic resources, which are neglected and underutilised in North Africa, have been wisely utilised abroad and have permitted the development of interesting cultivars


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MOST IMPORTANT LIVESTOCK (milk and meat) Sheep

Cattle Goat


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SITUATION OF FORAGE CROPS o Areas - cultivated forages: limited - meadows:

very limited

- rangelands:

occupy the largest parts of useful areas of countries (excluding desert areas)

Tab. 1 : Distribution of land uses in North Africa. Algeria

Morocco

Tunisia

10³ ha

%

10³ ha

%

10³ ha

%

238 174

100.00

71 085

100.00

16361

100.00

31 620

13.28

13500

18.99

4041

24.7

Forests

3 900

1.64

5 474

7.70

647

4.0

Alfa (Stipa)

3 100

1.30

2 887

4.06

743

4.5

Cultivated areas

8 069

3.39

9 195

12.94

5004

30.6

498

0.21

140

0.20

217

1.33

4038

1.70

2 523

3.55

960

5.9

40

0.02

136

0.19

0

0

Total area Rangelands

including cultivated forages including fallow lands including natural meadows

Sources : For Morocco: Annuaire Statistique (Statistical Yearbook) 1993 and Le Gall (1995) concerning rangeland area (steppe ranges = presaharan + Oriental + North Atlas + argan grove). For Algeria and Tunisia : Official statistics. For forage crops : Algeria and Tunisia à average 1986-1990 (for Tunisia à excluding 316,660 ha of trees and forage shrubs); Morocco à average 1987-1990.


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qTunisia: In 2004/2005: Forage crops occupied 384,000 ha

q Morocco: In 2011-2012: Forage crops occupy 463,590 ha

q Algeria: In 2011-12: Forage crops occupy 416,300 ha


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qA large part is devoted to cereals: barley, oats, triticale qA large part is devoted to associations (cereals-legumes) for dry fodder -vetch-barley, vetch-oats, vetch-triticale -peas-barley, peas-oats, peas-triticale


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Meadows

Steppe

Fallow

Hay

Example of some components of pastoral and forage systems Meeting REFORMA, Lodi 24-25/09/12

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q Species for mowing (foraging in green): - Few species - Domination of alfalfa and Berseem - Seldom other species (mainly in Morocco)


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q Diversification : - Quasi-monoculture, except in Morocco, more than 13 species q Production of roughage - For poor quality hay - Silage not very common q Rangeland, pastures, fallow and by-products of cereals occupy a significant place in the diet of livestock

q The primary vocation of North Africa is livestock


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Fallow in Est of Algeria

In Algeria: Fallow is the most important grazing area (3.5 millions Ha) Meeting REFORMA, Lodi 24-25/09/12

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q Quantity and Quality: - Inadequate quantity, chronic forage deficit - Poor quality (crop management) q Impact on animal production: - Poor dairy production: little green fodder - Meat production : poor and variable q Impact on the economy and food security: - Import of maize and soybean feed (especially in Algeria) - Significant import of milk and dairy products (especially in Algeria) - Import of meats - Price of meat often very high!! mutton: 12 euros / kg; beef: 15 euros / kg in Algeria Meeting REFORMA, Lodi 24-25/09/12

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MAJOR CONSTRAINTS OF FORAGE CROPS


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p The most important limitation to forage and/or pastoral production lies in the climatic factors, in particular rainfall and temperature on the growth period Annual rainfall: less than 25 mm in the Saharan regions to over 2,200mm in the north. This variation in space depends on latitude, continentality and relief. Rainfall decreases sharply with latitude in Algeria, rainfall also decreases from east to west. Altitude impacts rainfall, particularly in Morocco. Clear asymmetry between mountain sides. In Algeria, north-facing slopes receive the highest rainfall, south-facing slopes are drier. In Morocco, western or northwestern slopes have the highest rainfall, eastern or southeaster slopes are drier. Meeting REFORMA, Lodi 24-25/09/12

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Maximum average temperatures of the warmest month (M): - less than 30 C in the coastal areas (Mediterranean and Atlantic) - Vary from 30 to 40 C inland, and - Exceed 40 C in pre-Saharan regions. Average minimum temperatures of the coldest month (m): - Generally vary 5 to 10 C in the coastal plains, - Decrease inland (3-6 C), and - Fall sharply on the high plateaus and mountains (up to -3 C). Rainfall and Temperature : - Require the development of cultivars for each agro-ecological area; - Hence the urgency of selection and breeding of adapted forage varieties.


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qThe other most important limitation to forage production lies in the social factors: - The idea of cultivating grass not allowed q Besides, most of these systems are based on spontaneous resources, free forage units !!! - Land previously cultivated - Agricultural systems where fallow often dominate - The steppe range - Systems with forest grazing dominated

→

These systems have a great capacity to adapt and a very flexible strategy of land use. Meeting REFORMA, Lodi 24-25/09/12

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r Economic Constraints: In intensive areas, forage crops are not competitive because of the deficit in grain production, vegetable cash crops dominate ... and green fodder has limited space. Example: The price of wheat has caused: - The disappearance of barley in areas where it was cultivated - Significant reduction of forage in semi-arid areas Subsidies for irrigation caused: - The disappearance of forage crops in the Mitidja and in areas that usually produce milk, gardening products and fruit


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INTEREST OF CERTAIN SPECIES


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Need to develop varieties: 1. For semi-arid region (reduction of fallow) Barley, Oats, Triticale, annual Phalaris. Peas, Vetch, Lathyrus, Sulla, Lupin

2. In intensive region (subhumid irrigated): Alfalfa Alfalfa, berseem, ryegrass, sorghum,

3.On the lowlands: Fescue, Dactyl, …


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4.In watersheds

5.In undergrowths: installation of sclerophillous grazed forests (« dehesas »)


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spontaneous Sulla on sloping ground

Soil erosion after fallow worked


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Possibility of developing “dehesas” : forest grazing arrangements


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Conclusion No improved forage species/varieties (Research) Very little effort is invested to create new varieties of the species intended for: 1. mowing 2. silage 3. grains 2. Improved meadows 3. Improvements of rangelands and steppe 4….. Taking into account environmental changes LACK OF CREATIVITY


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Acknowledgements: Dr Thami Alami Imane, Maroc Dr Srairi Med Tahar, Maroc Dr Hayek Taoufik, Tunisie Dr Zoghlami Aziza, Tunisie Mr Hamani Omar, Algérie


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Thank you


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