The agar extraction process of the red algae Gelidium sesquipedale generates a solid residue as the main by-product. However, this residue remains non-valorized, despite its potential as a fertilizer. This study aims to determine the value of G. sesquipedale residue as organic fertilizer and for soil amendments. An incubation test of G. sesquipedale residue in soils was performed to measure the nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and calcium (Ca) release. The potential fertilization effect of the residue was evaluated in a greenhouse on two crops: strawberry and corn. The amount of available P was high at the beginning of the incubation experiment. The amounts of nitrate–nitrogen (NO_₃⁻-N) and available Ca increased over the incubation time. A high efficiency of fertilization using the residue at different concentrations was observed in both crops. Application of the residue enhanced crop growth. The fertilization effect was associated with increased macro- and micro-elements in the strawberry fruit’s N, Ca, iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) and in the corn leaves’ N, P, magnesium (Mg), and Fe. Moreover, the residue was a good soil organic amendment as it enhanced the amount of organic matter (OM) and some macro- and micro-elements in the soil after plant harvest.

This review addresses critical gaps in the understanding of AI integration across modern agricultural systems through a systematic analysis of hybrid architectures, adaptation strategies, learning approaches, and knowledge integration methods. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we reviewed 200 papers published over the period 2019-2024, identifying key trends in AI implementation, including the dominance of hybrid approaches and evolution towards data-efficient methodologies. Our meta-analytical synthesis of 51 high-quality studies revealed that hybrid adaptation approaches achieve superior performance (91-94% accuracy) in disease detection and crop monitoring tasks, whereas environmental adaptation strategies offer an optimal balance between performance and resource requirements. Data-efficient learning approaches have shown significant growth, with transfer learning adoption increasing from 30% to 45% of studies, addressing the critical challenge of limited training data in agricultural contexts. We examined implementation challenges, including economic feasibility, ethical considerations, system robustness, and adoption barriers for smallholder farmers. This review provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the current AI applications in agriculture and establishes priorities for sustainable and inclusive agricultural technology development.

Monitoring the nutrient status of citrus orchards is fundamental to ensure optimum fruit yield and quality. In the present study, soil and leaf samples of 20 Valencia Late orange orchards were collected in the Gharb plain of Morocco, the second-largest citrus area in the country. The objective was to assess the status of essential macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) and micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn) in Valencia orange orchards and investigate the relationships between soil properties and nutrient contents in soils and leaves. Soils of the studied orchards had a medium to heavy texture, with low to moderate levels of organic matter content (6–31 g kg⁻¹). They were also non-saline and mostly alkaline and calcareous. These soils exhibited a wide range of macro- and micronutrients. Suboptimum levels of total N, available Fe, and Cu were observed in most soils. Most of soils had also sufficient levels of available P, Mn, and Zn. All soils were sufficiently supplied with available Ca, Mg, and K. Similarly to soil analysis, leaf analysis indicated the prevalence of adequate to very high levels of P, Ca, Mn, and K. Leaf N and Fe status were below optimum levels in most orchards, which is in line with the observed low levels in soils. Nevertheless, unlike soils, leaves did not show any deficiency of Cu; instead, most orchards had adequate to excessive levels of this micronutrient. Additionally, leaf Mg and Zn status were deficient in most orchards, conversely to that of soils. This discrepancy between soil and leaf analysis was also noted in the lack of correlation we observed between soil nutrients and their respective levels in leaves. Correlation analysis revealed also an antagonistic interaction between K–Mg and Ca–Mg, which explained the widespread suboptimum levels of Mg in leaves despite its sufficient status in soils. Such antagonism was also observed between Fe–Mn. In the case of Cu, we suspect the use of Cu-containing plant protection products to contribute to the high levels in leaves despite its low levels in soils. Overall, our results showed that nutrient imbalances leading to antagonistic interaction heavily impacted nutrient status in our study area. We expect unbalanced fertilization to contribute to this issue. Therefore, fertilization practices should be managed judiciously to maintain an adequate nutrient balance in the soil and trees of citrus orchards and ensure their sustainable production.

Although earthworms are the key drivers of most valuable ecosystem services and the main indicators of soil health, the existing ecotypes in Moroccan soils are largely unknown. The lack of records for many regions and limited data for others is a major obstacle to making the most of earthworms in sustaining the key ecosystem services they provide. This study investigates, for the first time, the earthworm biodiversity in cultivated soils in 4 irrigated perimeters of the arid region of Souss-Massa. Soil pits (25 x 25 x 30cm, n = 5) at 40 sampling sites were examined by digging, hand-sorting, and using a chemical expellant solution. From the 200 pits dug, 418 adult earthworms and 1182 juveniles were collected. Five new regional records of earthworms, namely Aporrectodea caliginosa, Aporrectodea longa, Aporrectodea rosea, Eiseniella tetraedra, and Microscolex dubius, were identified. A. longa was identified as a new species record for the earthworm fauna of Morocco raising the numbers from 13 declared species to 14. Most earthworms (60 %) were endogeic species in the majority of sampled sites. The occurrence of A. rosea (50% of sampled sites) and A. caliginosa (48% of sampled sites) reflects their frequent detection in the study area. Our results indicate that earthworms do exist in arid and semi-arid climates at significant densities, particularly along the crop rows where the drip irrigation laterals lie.