Weeds flora associated with Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) in Morocco

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ScienceDirect Materials Today: Proceedings 13 (2019) 1108–1114

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ICMES2018

Weeds flora associated with Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) in Morocco M. Rimani a* , I. Mzabri a, Z. Chafik b, A. Berrichi a a

Laboratory of Biology of Plants and Microorganisms, Faculty of Sciences, Mohamed First University Oujda, Morocco. b Institute of Agricultural Technicians Zraib, Berkane, Morocco.

Abstract A floristic and ecological study was carried out in the most zones producing saffron in Morocco: Taliouin, Taznakht, Ourika, Imilchil, Tinghir, Midelt, Sefrou, Titouan and Oujda. From 49 surveys carried out in the various zones, the 210 weeds listed belong to 34 botanical families, 85.8% of which are dicotyledonous. Five families Asteraceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae, Brassicaceae and Caryophyllaceae together account for 56.8% of the total population. Biological analysis shows a predominance of annuals with 147 species, representing 70.3% of the total population. Mediterranean taxa predominate with 62.3% of the total population. Consideration of the harmfulness aspect of weeds allowed identifying 12 problematic species as Hordeummurinum (L.) Pers., Malvaparviflora L., Silene rubella L. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Conference on Materials and Environmental Science, ICMES 2018. Keywords: Saffron; weeds; harmfulness; Morocco.

1. Introduction The saffron is recognized to be the most expensive spice in the world, because for 1kg of dry saffron, harvest should be done and hand prepared, one by one, for approximately 230 000 flowers. It costs 10 times higher than that of the vanilla and 50 times than that of the cardamom [1], hence it is designation of the red gold. The quality of the Moroccan saffron is highly deemed to be at the national and international levels. The production is one of the main supports of the economy of the region of Taliouine-Taznakht, which is characterized by pedoclimatic difficult conditions (arid climate, scarcity of water resources and poor soils). The saffron represents the main, and sometimes the only source of income for families; about 1400 homes [2]. Concerning its ecological characteristics and * Corresponding author. Tel: +212619339565 E-mail address: [email protected] 2214-7853 © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Conference on Materials and Environmental Science, ICMES 2018.

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industrial food interest, the Saffron is a plant for the future in Morocco. Therefore, it would be interesting to fight against the enemies that reduce the quality and the performance of this culture. Among these various enemies, weeds occupy a very important place. The weeds represent a more serious constraint since it affects more particularly the developing countries, up to 25% of loss of production in the tropical areas against 5% in the temperate zone [3]. The weeds flora varies according to the nature of the crops and agricultural practices. Because of this fact, it would be interesting to study this flora associated to saffron in Morocco, in order to be able to adopt reasonable methods to protect it. This is in order to support low inputs, to improve the incomes of small producers and limit the rural exodus. The management of the weediness of any culture requires a precise knowledge of the weeds and the environmental factors responsible for their development [4]. Up till now, no study had been carried out on the saffron’s weed infestations. To well manage the implementation of fighting means against the saffron weeds, this work will trace the objective of inventory the weeds flora associated to the saffron cultivation in Morocco. That is recognizing the systematic nature of the species, their biology and harmfulness on the cultivation of saffron in Morocco and then revealing the main discriminate variables in the distribution of this flora weeds. 2. Material and Methods 2.1. Geographical area of the study Morocco is one of the most original countries in the western palearctic region, geographically, climatically and ecologically. As consequence, it is the second diverse country biologically in the Mediterranean basin after the Turkey [5]. Morocco offer, on a geographical restricted scale, the cold environments and glacial of snowy heights of the Atlas which culminates at 4165 m and the arid and hot confines of the Hamadas deserts. The combination of all these factors of diversity has created an even greater variety of environments, which are translated into: a physiognomic diversity of plant formations; ecological diversity of habitats; landscape diversity of sites and biological diversity of biotopes [5] (Figure 1).

Fig.1. Map of the distribution of the saffron areas surveyed in Morocco

2.2. Climate The Mediterranean climate dominates in Morocco; the cool season is rainy and when and hot season is dry. However, due to its latitude, the influence of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the impact of the massive Atlas chain that goes from the South Sahara to the rest of the country, the climate conditions are very variable. Moreover, this diversity has made Morocco an ideal country for the bioclimatic classification of the Mediterranean [6, 7]. Rainfall varies according to the seasons and the years. It rains especially in the autumn (October-November), in winter (December) and the spring (March-April).The annual precipitation varies from less than 100 mm (Saharianbioclimate) to 1200 mm (Humid bioclimate) [8]. Morocco, a country of the subtropical zone in the Northwest Africa, is characterized by a very different climate according to the regions. In effect, the coastal areas benefit from a temperate climate, while it is deserted in the south and east of the country.

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2.3. Realization of surveys The characterization of saffron’s culture weeds has focused on 49 phytoecologicalreleves conducted during the spring at the level of different saffron regions. They have been distributed to the whole saffron’s producing zones in a way that it takes into account the variability of ecological factors and agronomic traits [9] : the texture of the soil, altitude, the culture system, type of climate, preparation of soil, nature of fertilization, type of irrigation and type of weed control. The "tour de champ", a method of sampling mostly adapted to this context, is to look through the parcel in different ways until discovering new species [10]. This method has the advantage of taking into consideration the heterogeneity of the parcel and thus allows taking account of the rare species, and rapid expansion or indicator of certain characteristics of the Environment [11]. For each parcel, we note the species present, and their biological type and their coefficient of abundance-dominance which the quantification is noted from + to 5 [12]. Investigations of agronomy have been carried out with the producers in order to assemble the data to the parcel and to the cultural practices relevant to the technical conduct of saffron. The nomenclature adopted is that of the Flora of the North Africa of [13]. 3.Results and Discussion 3.1. Systematic Five botanical families clearly dominate the saffron’s parcels Morocco with 56.8%, which are the Asteraceae (43 species), Fabaceae (27 species), Poaceae (23 species), Brassicaceae (14 species) and Caryophyllaceae (13 species) (Table 1). This dominance can be justified by the ability of these families to produce high quantities of seeds [14],by their Mediterranean range and ability to adapt to biotopes unstable and diversified [15, 16].The other families (29) contribute to 43.2 % of the total of which 18 are represented by only a single genus and 10 are mono-specific. Table 1.Specific richness of families Family

Species

Contribution (%)

Family

Species

Contribution (%)

Asteraceae

43

20.5

Malvaceae

3

1.4

Fabaceae

27

12.4

Resedaceae

3

1.4

Poaceae

23

11

Aizoaceae

2

1

Brassicaceae

14

6.7

Cistaceae

2

1

Caryophyllaceae

13

6.2

Primulaceae

2

1

Apiaceae

7

3.3

Rubiaceae

2

1

Boraginaceae

7

3.3

Xanthorrhoeaceae

2

1

Papaveraceae

7

3.3

Amaranthaceae

1

0.5

Lamiaceae

6

2.9

Arecaceae

1

0.5

Chenopodiaceae

5

2.4

Caprifoliaceae

1

0.5

Euphorbiaceae

5

2.4

Cyperaceae

1

0.5

Geraniaceae

5

2.4

Iridaceae

1

0.5

Liliaceae

5

2.4

Oxalidaceae

1

0.5

Plantaginaceae

5

2.4

Rosaceae

1

0.5

Convolvulaceae

4

1.9

Solanaceae

1

0.5

Polygonaceae

4

1.9

Urticaceae

1

0.5

Ranunculaceae

4

1.9

Scrophulariaceae

1

0.5

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3.2. Biological aspect The biological weeds aspects are identified according to the Raunkiaer classification [17], which is based on the position of the buds of renovation during the critics climatic period. It shows that the 210 species constituting the weeds of the cultivation of saffron in Morocco are related to five biological types (Table 2). The ethological spectrum has a large proportion of Therophytes with 147 species, followed by the Hemicryptophytes with 40 species, Geophytes with 14 species, Chamephytes with 7 species and then Macrophanerophytes with 1 species. The high fraction of Therophytes, more than 70% of the global weeds, is consistent with those found in other cultures through the Kingdom [15, 18, 19, 20, 21]. These annual species are at a short cycle germinate in autumn as soon as the first precipitation; these are microthermiques or micro-eurythermiques[22] which perform their cycle before the arrival of the worst season (High summer heat). The Preponderant rate of the Therophytie recorded in this work (70.3%) can be justified by the habitats to seasonal immersion that is conducive to the development of annual plants to germination and rapid growth [23]. The multi-annual weeds are well represented. They constitute about one quarter of the total strength of the species inventoried. The high rates of Hemicryptophytes (19.4%) and Geophytes (6.7%) can be explained by the presence of vegetative organs (bulbs, rhizomes, stolons ...) which give them a better adaptation to the arid and semi-arid climates. The Chamephytes and Macrophanerophytes are weakly represented with 3.5% and 0.48%, respectively. They are encountered especially in non worked parcels (Marrubium vulgare) or in oases areas (Phoenix dactylifera). Table 2.Ethological spectrum of the inventoried flora Biological type

Number

Contribution (%)

Therophytes (Th)

147

70.3

Hemicryptophytes (Hc)

40

19.4

Geophytes (Ge)

14

6.7

Chamephytes (Ch)

7

2.9

Macrophanerophytes (MPh)

1

0.5

3.3. Biogeographic distribution of species Table 3 represents the spectrum of biogeographic distribution of all of the species. Chorologically, the percentage of Mediterranean taxa distribution (in a broad sense) is high enough, 62.3% in total. These results have been reported by Braun-Blanquet and al., [24] on the whole Moroccan flora, 2/3 of which are Mediterranean. The cosmopolitan species, represent 5.8% of the global weeds, with 12 species. Table 3.Identification of the biogeography origin of species Origin of species

Number of species

Contribution in%

Mediterranean European Cosmopolitan European African Eurasian Asia Ibero-Mauretanien Moroccan African Sub Cosmopolitan Endemic Saharan Thermocosmopolite

129 18 12 7 6 3 3 3 2 2 1 1

62.3 8.7 5.8 3.38 2.9 1.45 1.45 1.45 0.97 0.97 0.48 0.48

These cosmopolitan species are also more often of ruderal, such as: Emexspinosa, Solanum nigrum, Stellaria media, Marrubium vulgare, and Chenopodiummurale. The floristic Moroccan endemic element is represented by 1.4%, it is denoted by three species: Eastern Eremopyrum, Stachysocymastrum and Sclerosciadiumnodifflorum. In

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addition, there is installation of a vegetation of Asian origin, Eurasian and European, who deserves to be monitored closely so as to minimize the phenomena of biological invasion of the cultigens environments. It is the example of Isatistinctoria which began to colonize the parcels in the saffron areas. 3.4. Agronomic aspect 3.4.1. Plot floristic richness The number of species encountered in each parcel is between 11 and 55 with an average of 33, which reflects an important specific richness. According to Bouhache and Ezzahiri [25], several factors interact to influence this richness between other soil types, such as the kind of irrigation, the weeding frequency etc. 3.4.2.Nuisance partial index To assess the harmfulness exerted by the weeds on the saffron, we noted, for each species, the index of abundance-dominance, the absolute frequency and the biological type, in the objective to assign to each species a nuisance partial index (IPN) [26]. Obtaining of IPN is done by transforming the index of abundance-dominance as a percentage of average recovery according to the scale of the Table 4. For a better visualization of the results, the species with a relative frequency less than 20% are not considered, although the effect of a combination of this fraction represents a real gene for the saffron culture. Table 4.Transformation of the abundance-dominance as a percentage of average recovery [27] Nuisance partial index

Recovery class in %

Average recovery in %

5 4 3 2 1 +

75-100 50-75 25-50 10-25 01-10 0-1

87.5 67.5 37.5 17.5 5.5 0.5

I.P.N. (Sum of average recoveries/Absolute frequency of the species) x 100 followed by the relative frequency class of each taxa. F.A. Absolute frequency (number of records where the species is present).

The results obtained reveal the existence of 34 harmful species of the saffron culture in Morocco with a dominance of Therophytes which exceed 79%. Also, 3 groups have been formed (Table 5): Group 1: With a very high Index of harmfulness, (IPN > 1 000), this group contains the most frequent species and the most abundant in the culture of the Saffron. Among these, Convolvulus arvensis which is a concern Geophytes on crops in different regions of Morocco [28] which occupies the land because of its rapid multiplication by its well developed underground rhizomes. Annual Poaceae such as Bromusrubens, Loliumperenne and Hordeummurinum, which declared as the most damaging species on the cultivation of saffron in Iran [29]. Isatistinctoria, a brassicaceae which began to colonize the saffron’s plots in particular in the two main areas of production of saffron of Taznakht and Taliouine. Groupe 2: Characterized by an IPN between 500 and 1000; it is monopolized by 7 Therophytes among which: Malvaparviflora, Lamium clasping, Centaureaeriophora and Senecio vulgaris. Groupe 3: Contains the species with an IPN≤ 500 and includes 10 species with low recoveries means, but sometimes with relative high frequencies. It is the case of Allium nigrum, paronychia argentea and Salvia verbenaca.

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Table 5.Partial index of nuisance (IPN) and relative frequency of weeds species the more frequent in the cultivation of saffron in Morocco Species Group 1 : species at I.P.N.˃ 1000 HordeummurinumL. Convolvulus arvensisL. MelilotusindicusL. LoliumperenneL. Euphorbia helioscopiaL. Silene rubella L. RumexvesicariusL. ScorzoneralaciniataL. FumariaparvifloraLam. Capsella bursa-pastoris L. MedicagopolymorphaL. ErodiumcicutariumL. Papaver rhoeasL. Chamaemelummixtum(L.) ALL. BromusrubensL. IsatistinctoriaL. Vicia sativa L. Group 2 : species at 500 ˂I.P.N.˂ 1000 SisymbriumirioL. CentaureaeriophoraL. MalvaparvifloraL. LamiumamplexicauleL. Phalaris minor Retz ViciabenghalensisL. Senecio vulgaris L. Group 3 : species at I.P.N.˂ 500 Calendula arvensisL. Allium nigrumL. Salvia verbenacaL. PlantagoalbicansL. Paronychia argenteaLam. Romeria hybrid L. SonchusoleraceusL. Muscaricomosum(L.) Miller TrigonellapolycerataL. GaliumaparineL.

Relative frequency

I.P.N

Biological type

78 31 35 31 43 45 20 35 22 35 33 37 47 29 37 31 49

4008 2323 2103 1997 1812 1755 1660 1532 1514 1468 1403 1242 1189 1164 1161 1130 1046

Th Ge Th Th Th Th Th Th Th Th Th Th Th Th Th Hc Th

49 29 65 45 33 20 49

931 793 750 716 691 690 667

Th Th Th Th Th Th Th

20 39 27 22 37 20 27 29 20 22

470 397 373 341 311 250 242 229 200 186

Th Ge Hc Hc Th Th Hc Ge Th Th

4. Conclusion The saffron weeds flora of all regions of Morocco account 210 species belonging to 34 botanical families. Five families clearly dominate the whole of the flora and are represented by the Asteraceae (43 species), the Fabaceae (27 species), the Poaceae (23 species), the Brassicaceae (14 species), and the Caryophyllaceae (13 species). These families account for only 56.8% of the workforce Total specific. The biological spectrum shows a clear dominance of Therophytes with 70.3 followed by Hemicryptophytes and Geophytes. The Mediterranean element (62.3%) dominates widely and fairly characterizes the counted weeds flora. The agronomic appearance revealed, through the partial index of nuisance, the dominance of the most harmful species of the saffron of Morocco, among which: Convolvulus arvensis, Bromusrubens, Loliumperenne and Hordeummurinum. Ecologically, the species distribution in the different areas surveyed is governed, in particular, by the texture of the soil, the altitude and the culture system. References [1] H.W. Kothe,1000 plantes aromatiques et medicinals, Terres Editions, Toulouse, 2007. [2] A. Aboudrare, Conduite technique du safran dans la région de Taliouine- Taznakht. Diagnostic de la situation actuelle et voies d’amélioration des pratiques des agriculteurs,Rapport de formation,2009.

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