1. Overview on “Adapting
conservation agriculture for rapid
adoption by smallholder farmers in
North Africa - CSE-2011-025”
FARA Science Week
Accra July 15-20, 2013
Mohammed El Mourid
ICARDA/NARP Regional Coordinator
m.elmourid@cgiar.org

2. Conservation agriculture (ZT)
 Introduced in North Africa, starting in Morocco during the early 1980s,
in Tunisia during the mid-1990s and in Algeria in the mid-2000s.
 Areas under CA limited to about 6000 ha in Morocco, 12000 ha in
Tunisia, and 5500 ha in Algeria (2011)
 Why? Two major constraints: stubble/ residue management and
machinery costs

3. Conservation agriculture
Stubble grazing, an old and
persisting practice in cereal-based
farming systems, poses a great
challenge to conservation
agriculture adoption in North Africa
Locally made low-cost NT
seed drill should help
disseminate CA technology
in North

4. • Duration: 5 years (2012-2016)
• Partners: ACIAR, RSSA, ICARDA, NARES of Algeria, Morocco and
Tunisia + Libya and Mauritania
• Linkages:
– CRP1.1
– IFAD-ICARDA “Integrated Crop-Livestock Conservation Agriculture for
Sustainable Intensification of Cereal-based Systems in North Africa and
Central Asia
– ACIAR project “Development of conservation cropping systems in the
drylands of Northern Iraq
– The SIMLESA Program: CIMMYT-ACIAR Sustainable Intensification of
Maize-Legume Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern
Africa
– In Tunisia: AFD (Agence Française de Développement)-funded project
to support the development of CA
– In Morocco: INRA-ICARDA integrated natural resources management
project
– In Morocco and Tunisia, CIRAD-led EU-funded project (CA2Africa)
– RMSD/ Rencontres Méditerranéennes sur le semi direct

5. Aims & Objectives
Aims:
Promote adoption of conservation agriculture practices
to reduce natural resource degradation, and to increase
productivity, profitability and sustainability of the
crop/livestock systems in North Africa
Objectives:
1. To identify constraints to adoption of CA by
smallholder farmers and ways of enhancing adoption,
most importantly identifying and testing
socioeconomic options
2. To identify and test improvements in seeding
machinery, and in weed and biomass management of
CA systems
3. To enhance the capacity of NARES staff and other
stakeholders to practice and promote CA

6. Research questions
The project will address 3 major research questions to
bridge the knowledge gap:
Question 1: How is CA adoption driven by farmer and
institutional behaviour and incentives (e.g. markets,
research linkages)? For example:
- How is CA adoption influenced by farm size and
crop/livestock balance?
- How is CA adoption influenced by specific local
organisational and institutional support?
- How is CA adoption influenced by the degree of
availability and cost of appropriate equipment (including
seeding equipment) and inputs?

7. Research questions
Question 2: To what extent do CA systems have household,
livelihood and environmental benefits? For example:
- Noting that CA systems change weed and pest profiles, what
changes in the management of weeds and pests will reduce
biotic pressure?
- How will CA systems characterized by crop rotations and
varying agronomic practices spread farmers’ production risk?
Question 3: What are the biomass management trade-offs of
CA? For example
- Noting the demand from livestock for crop residues, will CA
remain beneficial even with low residue retention?
- What are alternative feeds and forages that might be
incorporated into CA systems?

8. Platforms: 3 different agro-ecosystems
• High potential crop/livestock: Fernana (Jendouba),
North West Tunisia: Characterised by subhumid, high rainfall
(≥600mm); deep soils with relatively good fertility; the farming
system is mainly based on cereals (wheat & barley) and legumes
associated with livestock.
• Semiarid crop/livestock: Chaouia/Ouardigha, Central
Morocco: Characterised by low and variable rainfall (300-350 mm);
silty-loamy-calcareous soils with medium fertility; the farming system
is based on the integration of crop and livestock (sheep & goats).
• Semiarid arid highland crop/livestock: Setif,
North Eastern Algeria: Characterised by highly variable rainfall (330-
400 mm); high plateaus, calcarous soils, medium-low fertility, prone
to erosion; the farming system is based on cereals with important
livestock component (sheep).

9. Algerian Platform Characterization
Wilaya of SETIF:
Semi-arid Highland
crop/livestock agro –ecosystem
Agric.Land 361.140 ha
 Rainfall: 330 - 400 mm
 Altitude: 900-1200 m
 Number of farmers: 42 417
 Topography: 90% High Plateau.
 Mean cereal yield: 1.4 t/ha
 Cereal area/ Total agric. area: 78%

10. Moroccan Platform Characterization
Région Chaouia-Ouardigha
(Province de Khouribga):
Semi-arid crop/livestock
agro –ecosystem
Agric.Land 425.700 ha
 Rainfall: 300 mm (C.V. 40%)
 Altitude: 600 m
 Number of farmers: 169 000
 Topography: 63% Plane and
32% hills.
 Mean cereal yield: 1 t/ha
 Cereal area/ Total agric. area: 67%

11. Tunisian Platform Characterization
Delegation of Fernana
(Governorate of Jendouba):
High Potential crop/livestock
agro –ecosystem
155 Km
Agric.Land 24900 ha
 Rainfall: 820 mm (CV
32.6%)
 Number of farmers: 4 200
 Topography: 2/3 Hills and
mountains.
 82% Farm size < 20 ha
 Mean cereal yield: 1.2 t/ha
 Cereal area/ Total agric.
area: 52% 2/3 of Arable soil (= 12800 ha)
subject to Water Erosion

12. Conservation agriculture (CA) innovation
system framework

13. A schematic
representation
of the CA
innovation
platform for
North Africa

14. Outcomes
1. Wider adoption of conservation agriculture among small
and medium-scale farmers in North Africa
2. Affordable ZT seeding machinery available through
local manufacturing
3. Improved productivity, profitability and sustainability of
cereal crop-livestock systems in North Africa
4. Improved capacity of NARES, farmers, NGOs,
machinery manufacturers, and agricultural institutions to
plan and implement natural resources conserving
practices in Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco and 3
neighbouring countries (Libya, Mauritania and Sudan)

15. Objectives/expected results
1. To identify constraints to adoption of CA by small holder
farmers and ways of enhancing adoption, most importantly
identifying and testing socio-economic options
2. To identify and test improvements in seeding machinery, and
in weed and biomass management of CA systems :
2.1. Develop and test affordable ZT seeding machinery
and crop establishment systems for small to medium-
sized farms;
2.2. Fine-tune weed management and crop sequences
for sustainable land and water management;
2.3. Optimize crop residue management and test
alternative livestock feeding systems under CA
3. To enhance the capacity of NARES staff and other
stakeholders to practice and promote CA

16. Algeria

17. Morocco

20. Tunisia
Vetch/triticale