**6. Challenges and perspectives**

Maize yields depend on a range of interconnected factors: genetics influence potential productivity, climate affects growth conditions, agronomy practices impact crop health, policies shape resource access, and political stability enables long-term planning. These elements interact to create a complex impact on yields. Improved genetics can enhance resilience, while effective agronomy optimizes potential.

Challenges in sustainable maize production encompass a range of interconnected factors that need to be addressed collectively. These challenges arise from various dimensions, including environmental, social, economic, and technological aspects. A holistic approach is necessary to tackle these challenges effectively and achieve sustainable maize production. According to [61], the sustainability level of maize farming systems is influenced by various socioeconomic characteristics of farmers and their observed climate change adaptations. Factors such as farmers contact with extension services, membership in agricultural organizations, access to credit, farm size, and their adoption of climate change adaptation measures such as on-farm diversification and land use changes were identified as significant driving forces shaping the sustainability of maize farming systems.

One of the primary challenges is the limited adoption of sustainable practices by farmers. Barriers such as lack of awareness, limited access to resources and information, and resistance to change hinder the widespread implementation of sustainable techniques. Overcoming these barriers requires a multifaceted approach that involves promoting awareness through farmer training programs, providing technical support and guidance.

In a paper review conducted by Cairns et al. [62], they concluded that enhancing the nutritional density of maize within farmers' fields is a critical goal. Achieving this requires not only increasing yield but also optimizing the nutritional content of the harvested crop. Another challenge involves promoting the wider adoption of new maize varieties and expediting the replacement of older ones. While the use of increased fertilizers holds the potential to elevate maize yields, recent evidence suggests that the low and fluctuating returns on investment can hinder the uptake of this approach. Moreover, the adoption of novel agricultural technologies is marked by uneven patterns, with female farmers exhibiting lower rates of adoption. Ignoring gender-specific barriers to technology adoption undermines the potential impacts of these advancements. To address these issues, it is imperative to implement strategies that encompass an integrative approach, considering the interconnected nature of the challenges.

Climate change poses another significant challenge to maize production. The impacts of climate change, such as increased frequency and intensity of droughts, floods, and heatwaves, affect the productivity and resilience of maize crops. Adapting maize cultivation to changing climatic conditions and developing resilient maize varieties that can withstand extreme weather events are essential strategies. Furthermore, implementing climate-smart practices like conservation agriculture, water management techniques and newer technologies can help mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on maize production.

Therefore, it is imperative to develop strategies for effectively addressing the challenges posed by climate change and mitigating the detrimental impact of water stress on maize production. Several viable approaches exist for adapting to water stress conditions. The initial approach involves harnessing the diverse genetic pool and identifying sources of drought resistance to develop and release new maize cultivars.

#### *Sustainable Maize Production and Carbon Footprint in Arid Land Context: Challenges… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112965*

The second approach centers on leveraging biotechnology advancements, utilizing molecular markers and gene transfer techniques to enhance water stress tolerance in maize plants. The third approach emphasizes the refinement of agricultural practices through the integration of meteorological data, ensuring the alignment of farming techniques with prevailing climate conditions. Additionally, adopting appropriate fertigation programs becomes crucial to counteract the adverse consequences of water stress on maize crops [63].

Soil health and nutrient management present ongoing challenges for sustainable maize production. Issues such as soil erosion, nutrient depletion, and imbalanced fertilizer use can degrade soil fertility and reduce crop productivity. Implementing soil conservation practices, including cover cropping, crop rotation, and precision nutrient management, can help address these challenges and improve soil health over the long term. Efficient water management is crucial for sustainable maize production, especially in regions facing water scarcity such as Morocco in the last decades. Challenges arise from inefficient irrigation practices, water competition, and limited access to water resources. Adopting precision irrigation techniques, promoting watersaving technologies, and implementing sustainable water management practices can optimize water use efficiency and mitigate the risks associated with water scarcity.

It requires collaborative efforts to address these multifaceted challenges that should involve farmers, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders. Enhancing knowledge and capacity building is a key component in promoting sustainable maize production. Providing training programs, farmer field schools, and knowledge-sharing platforms can help farmers, extension services, and stakeholders stay updated on best practices, technological innovations, and sustainable farming techniques.

Policy support from governments and policymakers is crucial for creating an enabling environment for sustainable maize production. This can include providing financial incentives, subsidies for sustainable inputs, and creating market opportunities for sustainably produced maize. Policy interventions can play a significant role in driving the adoption of sustainable practices at a larger scale.

Continued investment in research and innovation is essential to advance sustainable maize production. For example, developing improved maize varieties with traits like drought tolerance, disease resistance, and high nutritional value, researchers can enhance productivity and sustainability. Promoting research on sustainable farming techniques, precision agriculture, and climate-smart practices can unlock new approaches and technologies that contribute to sustainable maize production.

Partnerships and collaboration among various stakeholders are vital for driving sustainable maize production. Collaboration among farmers, researchers, government agencies and private sector actors fosters knowledge exchange, technology transfer, and collective action. Working together, stakeholders can address shared challenges, promote sustainable practices, and achieve the common goal of sustainable maize production.

According to the benefits of implementing smart irrigation and IoT technology, certain challenges have been evoqued for promoting a cost-effective digitalization to improve sustainability of irrigated maize cropping systems:

Inefficient fertilizer practices and the demand for irrigation water contribute to environmental impacts, such as increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and poor water quality, which result in business risks in corn production. Efforts are needed to limit GHGs and manage environmental threats by promoting environmentally friendly technologies, practices, and production products, and by encouraging investments in green technologies. Field screening and monitoring are necessary to quickly

identify any issues, such as plant emergence problems, nitrogen shortages, insect infestations, epidemics, weed problems, and the effects of water stress.

Utilization of wireless data collection holds promises in enabling farmers to optimize water usage. However, implementing these components underground presents challenges. One such challenge arises when burying antennas that transmit sensor data in soil, as their performance characteristics undergo significant variations based on the moisture content of the soil.

It is also important to consider that farmers typically operate on narrow profit margins, making IoT systems potentially unaffordable for them. Consequently, in order for these systems to have a viable commercial future, there should be a decreasing trend in the cost of IoT devices and overall system implementation.
