This study aimed at investigating the potential of vegetation indices and precipitation-related variables derived from remote sensing to assess rangeland production in the arid environment of the Moroccan Oriental region and identifying the challenges linked to that particular biome. Vegetation indices (VIs) and the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) computed at various aggregation periods were first integrated into a Random Forest model. In a second step, we studied in more detail the linear relationship between rangeland biomass and one of the spectral indices (ARVI) for the various vegetation formations present in the area. We concluded that, mostly due to the presence of alfa steppes (Stipa tenacissima), and especially to a large proportion of non-photosynthetic vegetation, it is not possible to accurately estimate rangeland production with a global model in this region. We recommend separating Stipa tenacissima from the other species in models and focusing on methods aimed at studying dry and non-photosynthetic vegetation to improve the quality of the prediction for alfa steppes.

Agroforestry is a promising way to sustain land use efficiency in semi-arid areas. In this study, we introduce quinoa as a drought- and salinity-tolerant crop in olive-based agroforestry. We investigated how the microclimate created by olive trees affects agronomic and biochemical traits in quinoa and evaluated the performance of this new olive-based agroforestry system in terms of land equivalent ratio (LER). Field experiments were carried out under two pedoclimatic conditions (S1) and (S2) using a randomized complete block design with two cropping systems (sole crop (SCS) and agroforestry (AFS) systems), four quinoa cultivars (Puno, Titicaca, ICBA-Q5, and ICBA-Q4) and one olive orchard as a control (OR) in each block. Our results show that AFS had lower grain yield (−45%), dry biomass (−49%), and crop water productivity (−44%), but higher plant height (12%), grain protein (4%), saponin (26%), total polyphenol (12%), and DPPH (9%) contents compared to SCS. The highest grain yield was recorded for Titicaca and ICBA-Q5 (1.6 t ha⁻¹). The LER ranged from 1.57 to 2.07, indicating that the overall productivity was 57% to 107% higher in the agroforestry system compared with the monoculture. We suggest that quinoa–olive tree intercropping could be a promising agroecological practice under semi-arid conditions.

Salinity is a major problem, impeding soil productivity, agricultural sustainability, and food security, particularly in dry regions. This study integrates quinoa, a facultative halophyte, into a pomegranate-based agroforestry with saline irrigation in northeast Morocco. We aim to explore this agroforestry model’s potential in mitigating salinity’s effects on quinoa’s agronomic and biochemical traits and evaluate the land equivalent ratio (LER). Field experiments in 2020 and 2021 used a randomized block design with three replicates, including monocropping and agroforestry systems, two salinity levels (1.12 and 10.5 dS m⁻¹), four quinoa genotypes (Titicaca, Puno, ICBA-Q4, ICBA-Q5), and a pomegranate control. Salinity significantly decreased total dry matter (40.5%), root dry matter (50.7%), leaf dry matter (39.2%), and root-to-shoot ratio (7.7%). The impact was more severe in monoculture than in agroforestry, reducing dry matter (47.6% vs. 30.7%), grain yield (46.3% vs. 26.1%), water productivity (47.5% vs. 23.9%), and total sugar (19.2% vs. 5.6%). LER averaged 1.86 to 2.21, indicating 86–121% higher productivity in agroforestry. LER averaged 1.85 at 1.12 dS m⁻¹ and 2.18 at 10.5 dS m⁻¹, reaching 2.21 with pomegranate-ICBA-Q5 combination. Quinoa–pomegranate agroforestry emerges as an innovative strategy, leveraging quinoa’s salt resistance and agroforestry’s potential to mitigate salinity impacts while enhancing land use efficiency.

Salinity is becoming a serious threat to global food security, as it can significantly reduce crop yields and irreversibly damage soil fertility. Moreover, this problem is currently exacerbated by the impact of climate change, especially in drylands. Hence, introducing and adapting salinity-tolerant species, such as quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa, Willd.), could be among the ways to enhance the value of saline land, increasing its productivity and improving small farmers’ income in rural areas. Quinoa, originally cultivated in the Andean region, has gained more attention throughout the Mediterranean region because it yields well even in marginal soils. It is also considered one of the world’s healthiest foods, as its grains contain a balanced composition of minerals, vitamins, dietary fiber, fats, and high-quality, gluten-free proteins, with a balanced profile of all amino acids. In Morocco, quinoa was introduced in 2000, but its expansion is still limited to certain regions. In Eastern Morocco, for the first time, an experiment was carried out in 2019–2020 aiming to assess the response of five quinoa cultivars (INIA-420 Negra, Titicaca, Puno, ICBA-Q4 and ICBA-Q5) to saline irrigation. For this, we used two levels of water irrigation salinity: 1.50 dS.m⁻¹ as a no-salt control from Tagma’s source in Tafoghalt village and 10.5 dS.m⁻¹ as salt treatment from local water drilling. Agronomic parameters, mainly dry matter, leaf area, grain yield and 1000-kernel weight, were measured to assess quinoa cultivars’ responses to saline irrigation. Statistical analysis revealed that all investigated parameters were significantly affected by salinity, quinoa variety and their interaction (p < 0.05). Furthermore, significant differences in terms of salinity tolerance among the five quinoa cultivars were observed, with the highest (2.17 t.ha⁻¹) and lowest (0.33 t.ha⁻¹) yields recorded for ICBA-Q5 and INIA-420 Negra, respectively. However, the same varieties tested previously in Southern Morocco tolerated a higher level of salinity (12 dS.m⁻¹). We assume that other factors interfered with salinity and variety, such as the sowing date, which was relatively late and exposed the flowering and grain filling stages to high heat in May and June.