One of the major challenges of Morocco’s water policy is water saving and the rationalization of the use of irrigation water. Conversion to drip irrigation with the aim of improving water use efficiency at farm level is one of the key instruments of the National Program of Water Economy in Irrigation. The present work consists of an assessment of conversion to drip irrigation in the scheme of Souss Massa. The objectives of this work were to identify and characterise the cropping systems currently practiced on farms, to assess the impacts of the introduction of drip irrigation on rotation, yield, labor, satisfaction rate of water needs, the agro-economic performances of different crops and cropping systems (water consumption, yield, etc.). Methodologically, a survey was carried out on a sample of 32 farms which converted from sprinkler to drip irrigation system.
[...]
The introduction of the drip irrigation system is being carried out gradually and is accompanied by significant changes in the cropping patterns. Farmers are moving towards more profitable crops such as tomato. The new irrigation technology has led to a reduction in the labor force for irrigation and an improvement in yields with a subsequent increase in the overall gross margins generated by the crop production system. However, farmers expressed the need to have continuous technical guidance in order to achieve an effective water saving and increase their income.
