Publication Date
1989
Description
In the Mediterranean Basin, a growing concern towards the adoption of the South Australian dryland farming technology, known as the ley-farming system, is observed, particularly in countries of North Africa and West Asia. It is widely believed that tremendous agricultural productivity of these countries would result from the use of annual self-regenerating pasture legumes in rotation with cereals (e.g. Carter, 1978). However, it is also recognised that some targetted agronomic research should be conducted locally if transfer of this technology is to be feasible (Boyce et al., 1985; Mazhar, 1987). Field research involving the study of relevant principles of the ley-farming system under Moroccan conditions is now in progress (e.g. Mazhar, 1987; Ameziane, unpublished), with emphasis on cereal-legume pasture systems to replace traditional cereal-fallow rotations in semi-arid environment. In the new system, the legume must complete its life cycle and successfully produce seed, then the seed must survive through to the next pasture phase without germinating. Annual medics employ two strategies to achieve these ends : copious seed production and formation of hard seed. Seed production depends on cultivar, pasture management and weather conditions, and is severely affected by water stress. Hardseededness is a protective mechanism which is well described by Quinlivan (1971). This mechanism would result in a properly working cereal-pasture rotation when enough seed is conserved in the soil and tillage practices favor the preservation of high quantity of seed near the soil surface. Under these circumstances, seed are exposed to conditions that will break seed dormancy and enable the seed to germinate. This research was conducted to study the self-regeneration process of annual medics after cereal phase of a cereal-medic rotation in relation to initial soil seed reserve, using contrasting medic genotypes.
Citation
Ameziane, T E.; Mazhar, M; and Berkat, O, "Seed Reserve and Self-Regeneration of Annual Medic Pastures in a Mediterranean Environment" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 27.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session13b/27
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Seed Reserve and Self-Regeneration of Annual Medic Pastures in a Mediterranean Environment
In the Mediterranean Basin, a growing concern towards the adoption of the South Australian dryland farming technology, known as the ley-farming system, is observed, particularly in countries of North Africa and West Asia. It is widely believed that tremendous agricultural productivity of these countries would result from the use of annual self-regenerating pasture legumes in rotation with cereals (e.g. Carter, 1978). However, it is also recognised that some targetted agronomic research should be conducted locally if transfer of this technology is to be feasible (Boyce et al., 1985; Mazhar, 1987). Field research involving the study of relevant principles of the ley-farming system under Moroccan conditions is now in progress (e.g. Mazhar, 1987; Ameziane, unpublished), with emphasis on cereal-legume pasture systems to replace traditional cereal-fallow rotations in semi-arid environment. In the new system, the legume must complete its life cycle and successfully produce seed, then the seed must survive through to the next pasture phase without germinating. Annual medics employ two strategies to achieve these ends : copious seed production and formation of hard seed. Seed production depends on cultivar, pasture management and weather conditions, and is severely affected by water stress. Hardseededness is a protective mechanism which is well described by Quinlivan (1971). This mechanism would result in a properly working cereal-pasture rotation when enough seed is conserved in the soil and tillage practices favor the preservation of high quantity of seed near the soil surface. Under these circumstances, seed are exposed to conditions that will break seed dormancy and enable the seed to germinate. This research was conducted to study the self-regeneration process of annual medics after cereal phase of a cereal-medic rotation in relation to initial soil seed reserve, using contrasting medic genotypes.
