Africa’s lands are largely vulnerable and threatened by soil degradation and low water availability, especially in semi-arid and arid regions, limiting crop and livestock productivity and farmer livelihood options. Therefore, in African agricultural lands, adopting/improving measures that conserve soil and water resources is crucial. This review aims to provide an update on soil and water conservation (SWC) in terms of farmer practices and research actions and explore how SWC technologies and practices represent a pathway to build or re-establish soil health and enhance sustainable agriculture in Africa. It also aims to increase knowledge on best-fit SWC approaches. Soil conservation, which includes measures of controlling soil erosion and maintaining or improving soil fertility, is inseparable from water conservation. On agricultural lands, the two are typically co-addressed. Increasing plant biomass production through improved water, crop and soil management practices, and managing this biomass judiciously, have direct and indirect impacts on conserving soils and water resources, particularly in drylands. This study focuses on rainfed agricultural systems. We discuss the barriers and challenges to scaling up best-bet SWC technological and management options. Moreover, we show that options, such as Conservation Agriculture (CA), Agroforestry (AF), as well as integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) and field-scale rainwater harvesting (RWH), remain promising for the preservation and improvement of soil health in Africa’s farmlands and improving the resilience of agrosystems to climate change and variability as well as droughts.

Salinity is one of the most critical challenges for crop production and soil and water management in arid and semi-arid regions, such as a large area of Morocco. These regions are characterized by low rainfall with an erratic distribution, long drought periods, and high evaporation, resulting in salt accumulation in the superficial layer of the soil and soil and water degradation. Therefore, phosphogypsum (PG) could be a promising amendment to reduce the salinity effect and improve soil quality in salt-affected soils. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of PG on the physical properties of Luvisols and Cambisols collected from salt-affected soils in four regions in Morocco: Chichaoua, Ras El Ain, Sidi Zouine, and Sed El Masjoune. The treatments consisted of different rates of PG (15, 30, and 45 t/ha), natural Gypsum (G) (15 t/ha), and control. Our findings revealed that PG application improved soil structure by promoting flocculant action provided by calcium. Linear regression indicated that Water Aggregate Stability (WAS) and PG doses were strongly correlated with a high coefficient of determination (R2 = 93.41%, p value < 0.05). Compared to the control, the overall efficiency of 45 t/ha of PG amendment reached 53%, 95%, and 36%, respectively, in Chichaoua, Ras El Ain, and Sed El Masjoune soils. PG application presented a positive effect on other soil physical properties (soil hydraulic properties, total porosity, and bulk density), especially for the soils of Chichaoua and Ras El Ain regions. The total porosity was increased by 8% with 45 t PG/ha in Ras El Ain soil, and in Chichaoua soil, the bulk density was 5% lower in the pot treated with 45 t PG/ha compared to the control. This study supports the use of PG as an amendment for reclaiming salt-affected soils through monitoring agronomic and environmental impacts.

Salinity and sodicity are the most agricultural challenges in arid and semi-arid regions. A pot experiment was undertaken, to evaluate the effect of Phosphogypsum (PG) and Gypsum (G), to remove salts, nutrients and trace elements in leached water from saline and saline-sodic soils. In order to determine the efficiency and safety of these amendments, as an affordable strategy, for overcoming salinity and sodicity stress. The PG at 0, 15, 30 and 45 t/ha and G at 15 t/ha were mixed with the upper 9 cm soil in the pot before being leached. The soils were collected from Sed El Masjoune and Sidi El Mokhtar areas of morocco with ECe of 140.6 mS/cm and 11.7 mS/cm respectively. The highest doses of PG (≥30 t/ha) removed significant amount of salts and nutrients. Calcium sulfate supplies calcium ions to replace salt ions (sodium, especially). The replaced salts are leached from the soil. The PG was more efficient compared to G in terms of salts leaching. Quantities of trace elements in the leachate, for most analyzed elements, were below the recommended limits of drinking and irrigation water. Because the experiment’s alkaline conditions (basic water and soil) reduce the solubility and mobility of trace elements. The amendment application did not affect saturation index (SI) of the main minerals. However, water passing through the soil increased the SI. which could result in groundwater mineral precipitation.

Quinoa is a highly nutritious and gluten-free crop. It is a good alternative crop to cereals in the context of climate change. In the process of introducing quinoa to an arid region of Morocco (Rehamna), late sowing results in stunted plants and low yields due to insufficient precipitations and high temperatures around the flowering stage. Early sowing of short-cycle cultivars constitutes a good strategy to enhance growth and yields. A field experiment was conducted in the Rehamna region in 2020–2021 to investigate the effect of the sowing date on quinoa growth, development, and yield. Two cultivars, ICBA-Q5 and Titicaca, and five sowing dates from 15 November to 15 March were evaluated. Results showed that December sowing enhanced plant height, total leaf area, the number and dry weight of branches, leaves, and panicles, and enhanced quinoa productivity, due to high precipitations, optimal temperatures, and a short photoperiod. The highest grain yield (0.84 t ha⁻¹) was obtained with ICBA-Q5. Late sowing decreased the yield and growth and reduced the number of days to panicle emergence, flowering, and maturity for both cultivars. Early sowing of ICBA-Q5 is recommended to increase quinoa yield in arid regions of Morocco.

According to the FAO, 828 million people were facing acute food insecurity in 2021. Fertilization is a critical input factor in crop production and food security achievement. Therefore, fertilization is a critical input factor in crop production and food security achievement. However, there is room for improvement in the application of fertilizers in certain regions. Thus, new fertilizers with a relatively low cost could enhance farmers’ access to these essential inputs. Phosphogypsum (PG) is used as fertilizer because it contains many nutrients essential for plant growth, including calcium, sulfur, and phosphorus. A two-year field experiment was conducted using two Moroccan PG products (PG1 and PG2, obtained from two different industrial sites), applied at four rates (0, 1.5, 3, and 4.5 t/ha). The aim was to assess the impact of PG source and rate on barley crops, including yield component, nutrients uptake, and heavy metals content. The study’s findings revealed that as the rate of PG application increased, there were significant enhancements in the number of spikes, tillers, grains, total biomass, grain yield, and thousand-grain weight. In fact, when compared to the control, the application of 1.5, 3, and 4.5 t/ha of PG led to a remarkable increase in grain yield by 21%, 34%, and 39%, respectively. Furthermore, the uptake of nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S) by the shoots and grains was significantly influenced by the PG application rates, with higher rates resulting in greater nutrient uptake. Notably, the application of PG had no discernible impact on the heavy metal content in shoots, grains, or soil.