Like most of the countries of the African continent and the MENA, Morocco has experienced alternating wet and dry periods for several decades and is still confronted with the effects of unstable climate change due to the specificities conferred by its geographical position and the diversity of its ecosystems. It is one of the countries most affected by desertification, with an arid and semi-arid climate covering more than 93% of its territory. Indeed, the Upper Moulouya watershed has been exposed to severe droughts several times in recent decades. The spatial and temporal distribution of drought episodes in this watershed is studied over a 91-year period between 1931 and 2022. In order to characterize and evaluate the severity and sustainability of drought in this watershed, four indices were used and applied in this study, as they have advantages in terms of statistical consistency and have the capacity to describe, through different time scales (short, medium and long) the impacts of the climatic drought in question. These are the Standardized Precipitation Index SPI, RDI, RI and DI. The annual rainfall series at the eight meteorological stations of the said watershed show irregularities and very marked spatial and temporal variability with a generally decreasing trend. The SPI calculation results obtained show a heterogeneous distribution of SPI values throughout the watershed area. The analysis of the graphical illustrations of this index allowed to highlight an important fluctuation of the dry and wet periods with a strong dominance and tendency to drought with the order of 51% in the stations of Midelt, and Ansegmir, 52% in the station of Zaida, 59% in the stations of Tabouazant, Barrage (Dam) Enjil and El Aouia, 58% in the station of Louggagh, 47% in the station of Anzar Oufounes. The analysis of the results of the of the drought indices RDI, RI and DI at the level of this watershed also made it possible to highlight the existence of numerous drought sequences alternating with other wet sequences and indicates a dominance of dry years, perfectly remarkable during the period 1976-93. The most important dry episode, in number of successive years, was recorded at the Ansegmir station from 1976-89 and the most important rainy episode was recorded at the Midelt station from 1966-76. The years of the 2015-2022 series show an overall persistent decrease in rainfall, thus allowing the installation of a severe drought episode. The trend in the entire watershed is a decrease in rainfall and the installation of mild, moderate and severe drought episodes of varying length and duration.

The competitiveness of sugar beet in the Doukkala irrigated perimeter makes this crop the main one compared to wheat, vegetables and forage. However, the dominance of small plots drives farmers to practice 2 to 3 years rotation of sugar beet. This work, carried out on contrasting and representative soils between 2012 and 2019, aims to study the effects of sugar beet residues incorporation on the soil organic matter, soil properties, and sugar beet root yield and sugar content under reel field conditions and actual rotation system. The results showed that the rate of soil organic matter (SOM) increased by +28.8% during eight agricultural seasons. Plots that never received crops residues experienced an average decrease in SOM rate of -19%. The maximum average increase in the SOM rate of +194% was observed at the level of the plots, where sugar beet residues were incorporated six times. This variation in SOM is more marked in coarse-textured soils. The variations of Mg, K, P, Ca, Zn, B, CaCO 3, soil pH, CEC are positively correlated with statistical significance with SOM variation. The multiple linear regression model for predicting the variation in SOM content, depending on soil texture, initial SOM content and number of residue incorporations, with (R 2 = 0.81, RMSE = 26.15) shows that this variation is significantly favored by coarse soil elements and the number of residues incorporation and that it is unfavorable in soils with a dominant fine texture and initially rich in organic matter. Yield and sugar content were improved by 31% (67,45 Mg•ha -1 in 2012 and 86,38 Mg•ha -1 in 2019) for root yield and by 4% (16.68% in 2012 and 17,37% in 2019) for sugar content in plots with six residues incorporations. Data from this study suggest that the use of sugar beet residues is benefical for improving soil properties and thus increasing soil organic status and crop performances.

In Morocco, and particularly in the Doukkala irrigated perimeter, sugar beet rot caused by Sclerotium rolfsii is a major limiting factor for the productivity of this crop. The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between the frequency of Sclerotium rolfsii infestation and the quantity of viable sclerotia in the soil on the one hand, and with the different physicochemical parameters of the soil in cropped sugar beet fields on the other hand. In total, 1794 soil samples were collected during a four years period in the whole irrigated perimeter. These samples were analyzed for their sclerotial content. In addition, laboratory analysis of physico-chemical parameters was performed for 94 sugar beet fields in 2019. The study showed that the relative frequency of infestation by Sclerotium rolfsii and the number of viable sclerotia oscillate inversely and present a relative frequency of 45.

Le présent travail a pour objectif la modélisation hydrodynamique de la nappe Quaternaire de Figuig ; généralement la nappe circule dans des alluvions limoneuses et des calcaires travertineux du Quaternaire avec un substratum imperméable constitué des marnes du Jurassique. La zone d’étude est caractérisée par un climat désertique. La modélisation hydrogéologique a été mise en œuvre par le logiciel MODFLOW. La nappe a été simulée en régime permanent et transitoire ; elle résout l’équation gouvernante de l’écoulement des eaux souterraines en milieux poreux continus et elle calcule la charge hydraulique par simulation des éléments comme : drain, puits, oued, etc. Le modèle numérique ainsi élaboré a permis d’estimer le bilan des aquifères des palmeraies de Figuig et de la plaine de Tisserfine-El Arja dans les deux cas : les conditions actuelles et le scénario de gestion simulant l’élimination des apports des barrages de Sfissif et de Rkiza, par l’oued Tisserfine jusqu’à l’oued Zouzfana.   The current study aims at providing a hydrodynamic model of the Quaternary water aquifer in Figuig; the water aquifer generally flows in a silty alluvial soil and travertine limestone of the Quaternary with an impermeable substratum of the Jurassic marl. The area of the study is characterised by a desert climate. The hydrogeological modelling was carried out using the MODFLOW software. The groundwater was simulated in permanent and transient regime; it solves the governing equation of groundwater flow in continuous porous media and calculates the hydraulic load by simulating elements such as: drain, well, river... Therefore, the digital model developed allowed us to estimate the aquifer balance of Figuig palm groves and Tisserfine-El Arja plain in the two cases: the current conditions and the management scenario simulating the elimination of the inflows from the Sfissif and Rkiza dams, through the Tisserfine wadi to the Zouzfana wadi.

The Fez-Meknes basin consists geomorphologically of the Meknes plateau to the west and the saïss plain to the east, separated by the Ain Taoujtat flexure. It is characterized by a semi-arid climate. Hydrogeologically, the basin contains two important aquifer reservoirs, a free and a captive water table. The first one circulates in the Plio-Villafranchian formations, while the second one is deep in the dolomitic limestone of the Lias. These two aquifers communicate with each other in some places, either directly through flexures and faults or indirectly through upward drainage. They are the main sources of drinking water and irrigation. These two aquifers have been overexploited due to successive years of drought and agricultural use. Thus, this work aims to monitor the piezometric level of the free water table through several field trips, technical data sheets of the drillings, geological and topographical maps. The analysis of rainfall data in the stations located around the piezometers in the study area allowed to distinguish a low water period (June, July, August and September) and a high-water period (March, April and May). The piezometric maps were made on the basis of the comparison between kriging and TIN during the low and high-water period. The TIN method has been recommended as the most reliable one.