Improving yield and water use efficiency of sugarcane under drip irrigation in the Gharb region of Morocco

One of the most limiting factors for agricultural development in Morocco is water scarcity linked to climate change. Since 2008, an important program promoting drip irrigation was undertaken by the state to achieve water saving and productivity. An experiment on sugarcane was conducted in the Gharb region under Mediterranean climate with a silty clay soil during two cropping seasons. The objectives were to assess the sugarcane water requirements, optimize WUE and test the crop response to variable irrigation water supplies under drip irrigation. The experiment was conducted using ‘’CP70-321’’ sugarcane cultivar in an experimental station using a randomized block design with four replications and five water regimes. The results showed a highly significant effect of the water regime on sugar and stems yields and also on height of stems. Water requirements for sugarcane were estimated at 7500 m³.ha-1, but 5000 m³.ha-1 equivalent to 67%ETc, was sufficient to optimize WUE (132 to 157 kg of stems ha-1.mm-1 and 22.2 to 24.2 kg of sugar ha-1.mm-1. This means that drip irrigation on sugarcane could potentially i) save about 50% of the irrigation volume, comparatively to sprinkler irrigation, ii) almost double the stem yields and iii) increase the sugar yields from 8 to 23 tons/ha