Reducing Chemical Inputs in Vegetable Cropping Systems through Integrated Pest Management: A Comparative Analysis of Morocco and North Africa

¹ Ibn Tofail University, Faculty of Sciences, Laboratory of Plant, Animal and Agro-Industrial Production, Kénitra, Morocco.
² Improvement and Valuation of Plant Resources, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofaïl University—KENITRA-University Campus, Kenitra 14000, Morocco
³ Laboratory of Spectroscopy, Molecular Modelling, Materials, Nanomaterials, Water and Environment, CERN2D, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Faculty of Science, AV Ibn Battouta, Agdal, Rabat 10106, Morocco.

Abstract

For North African countries, the production of vegetables is essential for food security, as well as for the agricultural economy of these nations; however, vegetable production in this region is threatened by the excessive use of chemicals in agricultural practise. The trends of mineral nitrogen and phosphorus loss and nutrient use efficiency (NUE) are examined in North African countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt), with Morocco as the primary example, between 2019-2023. The analysed results show the annual variability of fertiliser input reflects the extent to which farmers have adapted their fertilising methods and the agricultural intensification of their respective countries. Egypt uses the most nitrogen and phosphorus fertiliser compared to other North African countries and this reflects Egypt's high degree of agricultural intensification and irrigated agriculture, while Tunisia and Algeria use significantly lower amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus in their fertiliser due to their more extensive and less intensively farmed systems. Morocco holds an intermediate position, characterized by moderate inputs combined with good nitrogen-use efficiencies. These trends may indicate a gradual rationalisation of fertilization practices in Morocco, which is enabled by the growing integration of integrated pest management (IPM) and biological control measures. In general, this research emphasizes the potential of IPM-based strategies to reduce chemical dependence and sustain productivity. In particular, it identifies Morocco as a potentially interesting case for sustainable intensification of vegetable production systems in North Africa.