Biology and Management of Weeds in Morocco
摘要
Morocco has a diverse and highly adaptable weed flora that has resulted from a long history of its crop production, diverse agro-ecological zones, and climatic diversity (ranging from Mediterranean conditions in the north to arid and semi-arid regions in the south). Weeds represent a critical challenge in Morocco’s crop production systems, particularly in rainfed drylands. They compete for limited water and nutrients, reduce yield, and act as hosts for pests and diseases, causing yield losses of up to 30–60% when left unmanaged. More than 50% of the identified weeds originate from the Mediterranean region. The majority of the weed species occurring in cereal fields are dicots. Herbicides are widely used and are effective for controlling weeds; however, their overuse has resulted in the emergence of herbicide-resistant species like Lolium rigidum (annual ryegrass) and Papaver rhoeas (common poppy). These resistant species are now affecting large areas, posing a growing threat to crop production. Additionally, the environmental impacts of herbicides and the withdrawal of certain products from the market have further complicated weed management. This chapter has highlighted the importance of understanding weed biology and ecology as foundation for designing effective weed, management strategies; it emphasizes need to analyse weed dynamics under different cropping systems to implement integrated management approaches (such as crop rotation, optimized sowing techniques, and competitive crop varieties—with judicious herbicide application), and examine how those integrated strategies functions under conventional tillage and conservation agriculture (CA) practices. With increasing diverse weeds, including herbicide-resistant, perennial weeds under no-tillage systems, there is a need for special consideration, especially during the initial few years of adoption of CA. The study highlighted the inclusion of forage mixture in rotation and timely application of herbicides can minimize weed populations in CA-based systems. Further study on deep understanding of weed biology and their adaptive traits is essential for designing sustainable and effective management strategies to ensure the resilience and productivity of Morocco’s cereal-based systems.