Agropastoral System Diagnosis: Description of Agricultural Production Systems and Restoration Interventions with a Stress on their Weaknesses and Constraints

This work aims to contribute to the ongoing efforts to sustain the traditional oases structure in the western edges of the Sahara Desert. Oasis agro-ecosystem is an important heritage of the past and represents a sanctuary for traditional knowledge and biodiversity, but it needs human action to be properly maintained, assuring livelihood for its’ dwellers. The difficulties of oasis agro-ecosystem to cope with modern agriculture have been described and analyzed since long time and various solutions have been proposed. Many initiatives have been undertaken along this path, involving different domains, either by public or private entities or by international organizations, and the results are sometimes encouraging. However, none of them took into account the possibility of enhancing the farming system through mechanization This study discusses the possibility of introducing small mechanization in the oasis traditional farming system, an option neglected until now due to the usual linkage of mechanization to modern and large scale agriculture and to the bugbear of the initial investment. In this case, however, the proposed options based on small scale mechanization, notably motorized hand tools and light highly 9 mobile power equipment, could contribute to make agricultural work in the oasis system more attractive and sustainable. With this aim in view, the study reviews some recent analyses conducted on this subject, singling out the most salient points, in order to outline the main problems that have been recorded, and verifies and integrates them with a field survey carried out in some of the most significant oases of Morocco. A comprehensive diagnosis is summarized and possible interventions, based on introducing appropriate mechanization inputs, are suggested and discussed.