Weeds detection efficiency through different convolutional neural networks technology

The preservation of the environment has become a priority and a subject that is receiving more and more attention. This is particularly important in the field of precision agriculture, where pesticide and herbicide use has become more controlled. In this study, we propose to evaluate the ability of the deep learning (DL) and convolutional neural network (CNNs) technology to detect weeds in several types of crops using a perspective and proximity images to enable localized and ultra-localized herbicide spraying in the region of Beni Mellal in Morocco. We studied the detection of weeds through six recent CNN known for their speed and precision, namely, VGGNet (16 and 19), GoogLeNet (Inception V3 and V4) and MobileNet (V1 and V2). The first experiment was performed with the CNNs architectures from scratch and the second experiment with their pre-trained versions. The results showed that Inception V4 achieved the highest precision with a rate of 99.41% and 99.51% on the mixed image sets and for its version from scratch and its pre-trained version respectively, and that MobileNet V2 was the fastest and lightest with its size of 14 MB.

Assessment of the Vulnerability to Potential Collapse of Buildings in the Old Medina of Beni-Mellal-MOROCCO

The application of specialized natural hazard mapping is an absolute necessity for the management and prevention of natural hazard events. This paper treats the description of all the procedures carried out in order to produce a map of vulnerability and susceptibility to cave-ins, calculated and evaluated by the multicriteria method (AHP) and by using the GIS tool in the old Medina of Beni Mellal, which is recognized from time to time by cave-ins. The objective of this study is to develop a new method for analyzing the vulnerability of cavities to collapse, which presents a real risk in the urban area of the old cities. The methodology, applied to the old city of Beni-Mellal, consists in identifying and quantifying the stakes linked to the collapse of a cavity using a geographic information system. The weight of each parameter and factor exposed in the vulnerability was estimated using the hierarchical multicriteria method (AHP). The result is presented in the form of a spatialized and synthetic vulnerability map. The detection, mapping and assessment of areas vulnerable to the collapse of these cavities, particularly for large areas of the city, offers the possibility of reducing damage by intervening upstream and introducing preventive and corrective measures against any risk of collapse in the areas deemed vulnerable by our study. The maps show three zones with different degrees of vulnerability. The low and medium vulnerability zones occupy respectively 30 and 20% of the total area of the old city, while the high and very high vulnerability zones occupy respectively 16% and 4%.

Male-Female Differences in EFL Learning and Achievement in Morocco: Evidence from Beni Mellal

The aim of this paper is to unravel some of the controversies which have often shaped the findings drawn from prior studies germane to the area of male-female differences in relation to language learning. Educationalists in Morocco have hardly looked at the sex variable as a potential parameter which may explain some of the differential success of students in schools, and little if not daring to say none is known about it in the Moroccan context where there is still much to be done in terms of research and investigations. This study sets out to fill in this gap in research by analyzing male-female differences in language leaning. Using results of a test battery, regional exam GPA, and a standard EFL achievement test, quantitative data of a large group of senior high school students constituting a non-probability convenience sample (N = 152) drawn from the official records of Zerktouni high school, Beni Mellal directorate, have been explored to gather information about the issue in question. The results from the Chi-Square test and the independent samples t-test prove very convincingly that female learners unequivocally outperform their male peers at almost all basic language skills. The paper ends up with a conclusion and some pedagogical recommendations.

Exploring the Attitudes of Students to Distance Learning during Covid-19 in Morocco: The Case of Students of English Studies at Faculty of Letters in Beni-Mellal

The second semester of the academic year 2019-2020 witnessed an unprecedented practice in education worldwide due to Covid-19 pandemic. This was resorting to distance learning (DL). Morocco is no exception. Having continued our teaching practice through this new orientation during this semester, we thought that this experience is worth reflecting about. So, we decided to conduct this study which aims at exploring the attitudes of the students, to distance learning. To give orientation to this study, three research questions were put forward. The first question is about students’ attitudes towards distance learning. The second question is related to the first one and it is about the challenges facing the implementation of DL. Related to these two questions, one more question was considered and it is about the extent to which distance learning is efficient as a new practice to manage the crisis in education that started with the outbreak of Covid-19 and the accompanying pandemic. The findings we obtained from a questionnaire addressed to 160 students at the Faculty of Letters in Beni-Mellal revealed that the attitudes of students towards distance learning are generally speaking positive. Still it must be admitted that these findings also showed that there are some challenges facing a sound implementation of this new orientation in teaching, which necessitates some requirements both in terms of digital resources and digital pedagogy to reach efficiency in the future.

La reproducción de las desigualdades en las trayectorias de movilidad social intergeneracional de los jóvenes marroquíes en España

Este artículo presenta los principales resultados de una investigación realizada entre los años 2011 y 2015 y cuyo objetivo fue el de analizar las estrategias de movilidad social intergeneracional de las familias marroquíes vinculadas a tres perfiles concretos de jóvenes migrantes: los jóvenes de segundas generaciones, los reagrupados y los jóvenes llegados como menores no acompañados. Todos ellos, inmigrados en la Comunidad Autónoma de Galicia, en España, a principios del presente siglo. Una metodología fundamentalmente etnográfica y de carácter multi-situado guió un extenso trabajo de campo realizado con diez familias migrantes cuyos miembros residían en ocasiones dispersos entre Galicia y la provincia de Beni Mellal, en Marruecos. Las mediciones de cambios en las categorías educativas y ocupacionales se realizaron teniendo en cuenta aquellas de los padres y las de los descendientes, es decir, entre generaciones. Los resultados mostraron unas trayectorias educativas ascendentes entre las generaciones, pero unos resultados poco alentadores en la inserción laboral de los descendientes, pues éstos reproducían las condiciones de precariedad y fragilidad laboral de los padres, insertados en su mayoría en el sector informal de la economía local.

Isolation and Characterization of Phosphate Solubilizing Streptomyces sp. Endemic from Sugar Beet Fields of the Beni-Mellal Region in Morocco

In the course of our research, aimed at improving sugar beets phosphorus nutrition, we isolated and characterized Streptomyces sp. strains, endemic from sugar beet fields of the Beni-Mellal region, which are able to use natural rock phosphate (RP) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP) as sole phosphate sources. Ten Streptomyces sp. isolates yielded a comparable biomass in the presence of these two insoluble phosphate sources, indicating that they were able to extract similar amount of phosphorus (P) from the latter for their own growth. Interestingly, five strains released soluble P in large excess from TCP in their culture broth whereas only two strains, BP, related to Streptomyces bellus and BYC, related to Streptomyces enissocaesilis, released a higher or similar amount of soluble P from RP than from TCP, respectively. This indicated that the rate of P released from these insoluble phosphate sources exceeded its consumption rate for bacterial growth and that most strains solubilized TCP more efficiently than RP. Preliminary results suggested that the solubilization process of BYC, the most efficient RP and TCP solubilizing strain, involves both acidification of the medium and excretion of siderophores. Actinomycete strains possessing such interesting RP solubilizing abilities may constitute a novel kind of fertilizers beneficial for plant nutrition and more environmentally friendly than chemical fertilizers in current use.

Isolation and Characterization of Phosphate Solubilizing Streptomyces Endemic From Sugar Beet Fields Of the Beni-Mellal Region In Morocco

In this research, we isolated and characterized Streptomyces strains, endemic from sugar beet fields of the Beni-Mellal region, able to use natural rock phosphate (RP) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP), as sole phosphate source. Ten Streptomyces isolates yielded a comparable biomass in the presence of these two insoluble phosphate sources, indicating that they were able to extract similar amount of phosphorus (P) from the latter for their own growth. Interestingly, five strains released soluble P in large excess from TCP in their culture broth whereas only two strains, BP, related to Streptomyces bellus and BYC, related to Streptomyces enissocaesilis, released a higher or similar amount of soluble P from RP than from TCP, respectively. This indicated that the rate of P released from these insoluble phosphate sources exceeded its consumption rate for bacterial growth and that most strains solubilized TCP more efficiently than RP. Preliminary results suggested that the solubilization process of BYC, the most efficient RP and TCP solubilizing strain, involves both acidification of the medium and excretion of siderophores. Actinomycete strains possessing such interesting RP solubilizing abilities may constitute a novel kind of intrans beneficial for plant nutrition and more environmentally friendly than chemical fertilizers in current use.