Agricultural production in the Rehamna region, Morocco is limited with various challenges including drought and salinity. Introduction of climate resilient and rustic crops such as quinoa was an optimal solution to increase farmer’s income and improve food security. This study summarizes results obtained from a research project aiming to develop quinoa value chain in Morocco. The study tackled several aspects including agronomic traits (yield and growth), transformation, quality (nutritional and antinutritional traits) and economic analysis and, finally, a strength–weaknesses–opportunities–threats analysis, lessons learned and development perspectives were presented. From an agronomic point of view, introduced new quinoa cultivars showed higher performance than locally cultivated seeds and, furthermore, the use of irrigation and organic amendment has tremendously improved seed yield by double and three times, respectively, compared to rainfed conditions. Nutritional analysis revealed that protein and phosphorus content remained stable after seed pearling while most of the micronutrients content decreased after seed pearling. However, saponins content was reduced by 68% using mechanical pearling compared to 57% using both traditional abrasion and washing. The economic analysis showed that production cost of quinoa seeds could be further decreased using mechanized intensive tools along with irrigation and organic amendment supply. This study revealed several lessons learned from the field experience and proposed several development actions for each value chain component that can be implemented within a national quinoa program.

Major elements, also known as macro-elements, are present in significant amounts and are essential for plant growth and development. In agronomic, environmental, and fertilization studies, the total nitrogen content of plants is a key indicator. Assessing soil fertility and nitrogen availability requires a rapid and straightforward determination of total nitrogen. For this study, eight plant samples with varying nitrogen concentrations and different plant matrices were selected. A comparison was made between the nitrogen content, as determined by a continuous flow analyser (CFA), and the content obtained using the Kjeldahl method. The aim was to evaluate the feasibility of rapidly and accurately determining the total nitrogen content of plants. Analytical validation (linearity, precision, detection limits, and accuracy) was conducted in accordance with ISO 13528, ISO 17034, and NF T90-210 standards. Statistical assessment included regression analysis and one-way ANOVA at a 95% confidence level. A strong correlation was observed between the CFA and Kjeldahl results (R² = 0.9972; p > 0.05), indicating no statistically significant differences between the methods. Both exhibited high precision (RSD < 5%) and accuracy across nitrogen concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 40 g·kg⁻¹. The continuous flow analyser (CFA) provides a quick, precise, and environmentally friendly alternative to the Kjeldahl method for determining the total nitrogen content of plants. The CFA’s strong analytical equivalence with the reference procedure is demonstrated by its superior speed and automation, which reduces reagent use. Its robustness across different plant matrices and experimental conditions makes it a reliable and sustainable option for routine nitrogen analysis in agricultural and environmental laboratories.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of mixtures of the phosphate industry’s by-products and sewage sludge on some heavy metals (Pb, Zn and Cd) in the soil–plant system and the microbial load (bacteria, fungi and actinobacteria) in the soil. The experimental layout was a completely randomized design with ten treatments and four replications. The treatments consist of a combination of five substrates: phosphogypsum (PG), phosphate sludge (PS), sewage sludge (SS), phosphate waste rocks (PWR) and original mine topsoil (TS). Heavy metals analysis, phytoextraction efficiency (PEE) and bioconcentration factor (BCF) were carried out for three Ryegrass cuts. The microbial load of each treatment was determined at the end of the experiment. The results showed that the Pb, Zn and Cd contents of the treatments were well below the permissible limits given in the literature. The highest BCF and PEE were with treatment T4. Furthermore, bacteria, fungi and actinobacteria were significantly influenced by the different proportions of by-products used in the treatments, with the highest richness observed for the T4 treatment. For a successful reclamation of mine sites, it would be useful to determine the speciation of metals in the soil solution and the microbial genetic diversity.

Reliable determination of macro- and micronutrients in cereal plant tissues is essential for agronomic management, environmental monitoring, and interlaboratory data comparability. However, most existing plant certified reference materials (CRMs) are derived from temperate-region matrices and do not adequately represent cereals cultivated under semi-arid conditions, where differences in mineral composition may lead to matrix-related analytical bias. In this study, a new multi-element plant reference material, Cereal Plant Powder 2023 (CPP-23), was developed from composite wheat (Triticum aestivum and T. durum) samples collected across major Moroccan agro-ecological zones. The material was processed, homogenized, and evaluated for homogeneity and stability in accordance with ISO 33405:2024, with no significant short- or long-term variability observed. Elemental characterization was performed using microwave-assisted acid digestion followed by ICP-OES for major and trace elements, while total nitrogen was determined using the Kjeldahl method. Method validation demonstrated satisfactory linearity (R² > 0.995), precision, and trueness against established reference materials. Certified values were assigned through an interlaboratory comparison involving eight ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories using robust statistical estimators (ISO 13528:2022). Expanded uncertainties (k = 2) were below 15% for all analytes. While these results indicate acceptable internal consistency, the relatively limited number of participating laboratories and the absence of independent analytical validation techniques represent important constraints. CPP-23 provides a matrix-representative material suitable for quality control and method validation in semi-arid agricultural systems. Nevertheless, its ability to reduce analytical bias relative to existing CRMs and its applicability to specific use cases require further experimental validation.