Timenkar_2022_July_11
Why this photo?
The timenkar plateau combines rainfed and irrigated landscapes (photo taken in July)
Timenkar_2022_July_12
Why this photo?
Trees, vegetable and forages in the irrigated landscape
Timenkar_2025_May_2
Why this photo?
This photo show barley fields (6-row type of variety) which is the major crop of the Timenkar plateau in term of cropped area and because of its key rôle in the food and the livestock sub-systems. This is due to the following attributes :
production of grain with high nutritive value (coated seed rich in fiber and mineral compared to wheat) for traditional foods (bread, soups, dahl) production of grain for livestock: lamb fattening and pregnant females
production of quatlity straw for livestock feeding during winter. The local varieties have a low harvest index (around 0.3)meaning that they produce more straw than grain. early grazing of straw before winter in case of wet autumn and early sowing with compromising the heading and grain production.
late grazing of the whole crop in case of very dry spring.In that case the grain harvest would be anyway very low and is sacrified to preserve livestock feeding. in all cases grazing of straw after grain and straw harvest
* adaptation to drought and heat (compared to wheat) because of high tillering and earliness.
production of grain with high nutritive value (coated seed rich in fiber and mineral compared to wheat) for traditional foods (bread, soups, dahl) production of grain for livestock: lamb fattening and pregnant females
production of quatlity straw for livestock feeding during winter. The local varieties have a low harvest index (around 0.3)meaning that they produce more straw than grain. early grazing of straw before winter in case of wet autumn and early sowing with compromising the heading and grain production.
late grazing of the whole crop in case of very dry spring.In that case the grain harvest would be anyway very low and is sacrified to preserve livestock feeding. in all cases grazing of straw after grain and straw harvest
* adaptation to drought and heat (compared to wheat) because of high tillering and earliness.
Question/Answer
Q: what is the crop? A: Barley
Q: is it an important component of the system to consider? Why and how does it interact with other system's components? A: yes because (i) the large share of the cropped area (ii) the contribution to human nutrition (direct through grain and indirect through livestock products) and to livestock nutrition (through grain, straw and grazing)
Q: how does it contribute to resilience of the agrifood system and the community to climate variability? A:because of (i) biology: adaptation to drought and heat (ii) management: allocation to human and animal feeding depending of rainfall distribution of the year.
Q: is it an important component of the system to consider? Why and how does it interact with other system's components? A: yes because (i) the large share of the cropped area (ii) the contribution to human nutrition (direct through grain and indirect through livestock products) and to livestock nutrition (through grain, straw and grazing)
Q: how does it contribute to resilience of the agrifood system and the community to climate variability? A:because of (i) biology: adaptation to drought and heat (ii) management: allocation to human and animal feeding depending of rainfall distribution of the year.
Timenkar_2025_May_3
Why this photo?
This is a typical landscape of the plateau associated with water capture (from the river) and irrigation. This is where fruit trees and summer crops (maIze, vegetables...) are grown for human and animal feed for the winter period (hay, silage).
Question/Answer
Q: what are the agricultural species grown in this landscape ? A: fruit and nut trees, vegetables, maize...
Q: which is the key natural resource used for this diversified cropping system ? A: water which is captured in the river, brought to fields and distributed with surface irrigation.
Q: how would you represent this landscape in the Timenkar plateau system? A: as a subsystem in interaction with the village and with the rainfed landscapes itself composed of different crops for human and animal feeding.
Q: which is the key natural resource used for this diversified cropping system ? A: water which is captured in the river, brought to fields and distributed with surface irrigation.
Q: how would you represent this landscape in the Timenkar plateau system? A: as a subsystem in interaction with the village and with the rainfed landscapes itself composed of different crops for human and animal feeding.
Timenkar_2025_May_7
Why this photo?
- - A large and paved road is passing through the plateau since 5 years only
- - The road is both a component of the system allowing easy links bewteen villages and fields and a link with its environment (the city of Marrakech and adjacents valleys.
Question/Answer
• Q : What do you see in this picture which needs to be taken into account when analysing the Timkar plateau as a system ? A : a road.
• Q : which positive effect do you see of this road for the communities of the plateau ? A : reduction of time spent (and costs ?) in commuting to nearby villages and to the city for off-farm activities ; link to market ; opportunities to go to school for children ; Q : others ?
• Q : Which negative effect do you see for the communities and farming systems of the plateau ? A : more opportunities for cash crops because of market linkages leading to focuss on these crops leading to reduction of agrobiodiversity at the expense of subsistence crops and biodiversity. Q : others ?
• Q : which positive effect do you see of this road for the communities of the plateau ? A : reduction of time spent (and costs ?) in commuting to nearby villages and to the city for off-farm activities ; link to market ; opportunities to go to school for children ; Q : others ?
• Q : Which negative effect do you see for the communities and farming systems of the plateau ? A : more opportunities for cash crops because of market linkages leading to focuss on these crops leading to reduction of agrobiodiversity at the expense of subsistence crops and biodiversity. Q : others ?
Timenkar_2025_May_9
Why this photo?
Role of Barley in the agricultural systems
Question/Answer
Q: What are the relationships between the crop in front of the photo and the other crops in the back ?
Timenkar_2025_May_10
Why this photo?
The white cross to mark the limit of the grazing territories of two villages