Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Seedlings of Argan (Argania spinosa) from different geographical provenances reveal variable morphological growth responses to progressive drought stress under nursery conditions

  • Published:
Agroforestry Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To alleviate the combined effects of water and heat stress prevailing in drylands, the choice and introduction of appropriate plant species to these conditions is essential for the success of planting in rehabilitation projects. The argan tree (Argania spinosa) is a vigorous plant, admirably adapted to dry climates, with indisputable physiological and ecological characteristics that make of this tree an ideal plant to fight against erosion and desertification process, which seriously threaten arid lands. However, the geographical origin of seeds/seedlings represents a determining factor. In this context, we investigated the morphological responses of growth in two provenances of argan, the provenance of Tindouf ‘PT’ from Algeria and that of Agadir ‘PA’ from Morocco; under water stress conditions. The experiment attempts to evaluate the level of drought tolerance of these two provenances for selecting the planting material that copes and adapts better to hot arid lands. Argan seedlings of both provenances (PA and PT) were submitted to a water stress gradient (75, 40, 20, and 10% of field capacity), then morphological parameters (shoot height, number of leaves, number of spines, root collar diameter, length of taproot) were measured after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of growth. All variables of morphological growth varied significantly (P < 0.001) between water stress levels, seed geographical provenances and seedling growth ages. The overall of results concerning morphological parameters indicated that the increase of water stress induced in both argan provenances: a decrease in shoot height associated with an increase in length of taproot that resulted in the reduction of leaf numbers and radial growth but the increase the number of spines. The argan plantlets of Agadir have completely failed to tolerate water stress of 10% FC. Under water stress (40, 20, 10% FC), argan seedlings of Tindouf revealed higher growth results than those of Agadir. PT seedlings offset the water deficit by root elongation to ensure growth of the various components of the aerial part. PT seedlings were more resilient to drought stress as compared to those of PA. The highest growth results were obtained with 40% FC in PT seedlings, and with 75% FC among PA seedlings. It is recommended to use the PT seeds in planting projects under drought conditions, while PA seeds are more suitable under conditions of non-water deficit.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

FC:

Field capacity

SP:

Seed provenance

PA:

Provenance Agadir, Morocco

PT:

Provenance Tindouf, Algeria

SH:

Shoot height

NL:

Number of leaves

NS:

Number of spines

RCD:

Root collar diameter

LTR:

Length of taproot

References

  • Ait-Aabad N, ElAyadi F, Msanda F, Elmousadik H (2011) Evaluation of agromorphological variability of Argan tree under different environmental conditions in Morocco: implication for selection. Int J Biodivers Conserv 3(3):73–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Alados CL, El Aich A (2008) Stress assessment of argan (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) in response to land uses across an aridity gradient: translational asymmetry and branch fractal dimension. J Arid Environ 72(4):338–349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alba-Sánchez F, López-Sáez JA, Nieto-Lugilde D, Svenning JC (2015) Long-term climate forcings to assess vulnerability in North Africa dry argan woodlands. Appl Veg Sci 18(2):283–296

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Augé RM, Toler HD, Saxton AM (2015) Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis alters stomatal conductance of host plants more under drought than under amply watered conditions: a meta-analysis. Mycorrhiza 25(1):13–24

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belgacem AO, Louhaichi M (2013) The vulnerability of native rangeland plant species to global climate change in the West Asia and North African regions. Clim Change 119(2):451–463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benabderrahmane M, Chenchouni H (2010) Assessing environmental sensitivity areas to desertification in Eastern Algeria using Mediterranean desertification and land use “MEDALUS” model. Int J Sustain Water Environ Syst 1(1):5–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bezzalla A (2005) Essai d’introduction de l’arganier (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) dans la zone de M’doukel et évaluation de quelques paramètres de résistances à la sécheresse. Magister Thesis, University of Batna, Algeria

  • Boudjabi S, Kribaa M, Chenchouni H (2015) Growth, physiology and yield of durum wheat (Triticum durum) treated with sewage sludge under water stress conditions. Excli J 14:320–334

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bradai L, Bouallala MH, Bouziane NF, Zaoui S, Neffar S, Chenchouni H (2015) An appraisal of eremophyte diversity and plant traits in a rocky desert of the Sahara. Folia Geobot 50:239–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Charrouf Z, Guillaume D (2009) Sustainable development in Northern Africa: the Argan forest case. Sustainability 1:1012–1022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faouzi H, Martin J (2014) Soutenabilité de l’arganeraie marocaine: entre valorisation de l’huile d’argane et non-régénération de l’arganier. Confins 20:8842

    Google Scholar 

  • Golodets C, Sternberg M, Kigel J, Boeken B, Henkin Z, No’am GS, Ungar ED (2015) Climate change scenarios of herbaceous production along an aridity gradient: vulnerability increases with aridity. Oecologia 177(4):971–979

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harrouni MC, Zahri S, Elhemaid A (1995). Transplanting of the argan seedlings. Combined effects of cultural techniques and water stress. Proceedings of International Symposium: Forest Facing Desertification: The case of Argan Forests. Fac Sci Agadir, Morocco. pp. 115–126

  • Kashiwagi J, Krishnamurthy L, Crouch JH, Serraj R (2006) Variability of root length density and its contributions to seed yield in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under terminal drought stress. Field Crops Res 95(2):171–181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lybbert TJ, Aboudrare A, Chaloud D, Magnan N, Nash M (2011) Booming markets for Moroccan argan oil appear to benefit some rural households while threatening the endemic argan forest. Proc Natl Acad Sci 108(34):13963–13968

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • M’hirit O, Benzyane M, Benchekroun F, Elyousfi SM, Bendaanoun M (1998) Argan, a forest, fruit species, with multiple uses. Margada Edition, Sprimont

    Google Scholar 

  • Meena SL, Nagar RP, Meena SS (2014) Productivity of buffel grass and Caribbean stylo in different row ratio under neem based silvipastoral system in semi-arid region. Range Manag Agrofor 35(1):115–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Mekhlouf A, Rouag N, Boukhadra R, Chenni S, Fenni M, Makhlouf M (2013) Influence of cropping systems on soil properties in semi-arid conditions of Setif, Algeria. J Agric Sci Technol 3(8):653–658

    Google Scholar 

  • Msanda F, ElAboudi A, Peltier JP (2005) Biodiversity and biogeography of Moroccan argan tree communities. Cahiers Agric 14(4):357–364

    Google Scholar 

  • Neffar S, Chenchouni H, Beddiar A, Redjel N (2013) Rehabilitation of degraded rangeland in drylands by prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L.) plantations: effect on soil and spontaneous vegetation. Ecol Balkanica 5(2):63–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Sapeta H, Costa JM, Lourenco T, Maroco J, Van der Linde P, Oliveira MM (2013) Drought stress response in Jatropha curcas: growth and physiology. Environ Exp Bot 85:76–84

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • R Core Team (2015). R: A Language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. Available at: http://www.r-project.org/

  • Villagra PE, Cavagnaro JB (2006) Water stress effects on the seedling growth of Prosopis argentina and Prosopis alpataco. J Arid Environ 64(3):390–400

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolpert L, Tickle C, Arias AM (2015) Principles of development. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahidi A, Bani-Aameur F, El Mousadik A (2013a) Growth variability in Argania spinosa seedlings subjected to different levels of drought stress. J Horticult For 5(11):204–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahidi A, Bani-Aameur F, El Mousadik A (2013b) Seasonal change effects on phenology of Argania spinosa (L.) in the fields. J Ecol Nat Environ 5(8):189–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zunzunegui M, Jáuregui J, Ain-Lhout F, Boutaled S, Alvarez-Cansino L, Esquivias M (2013) Germination success and seedling development of Argania spinosa under different climatic conditions and browsing intensity. Nat Prod Commun 8(1):15–20

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the staff of the Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire ‘IAV’ Hassan II (Agadir, Morocco).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Environment, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University of Batna 2, 05078, Batna, Algeria

    Adel Bezzalla

  2. Department of Natural and Life Sciences, Faculty of Exact Sciences and Natural and Life Sciences, University of Tebessa, 12002, Tebessa, Algeria

    Sonia Boudjabi & Haroun Chenchouni

Authors
  1. Adel Bezzalla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sonia Boudjabi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Haroun Chenchouni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Haroun Chenchouni.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bezzalla, A., Boudjabi, S. & Chenchouni, H. Seedlings of Argan (Argania spinosa) from different geographical provenances reveal variable morphological growth responses to progressive drought stress under nursery conditions. Agroforest Syst 92, 1201–1211 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-016-0057-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-016-0057-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation