*3.4. Adaptation of Durum Wheat Cultivation to Future Climate Change by Adjusting a Sowing Date*

To adapt the rainfed durum wheat crop to the projected CC throughout its growing season, a CC adaptation strategy based on the sowing dates adjustment was tested in the AquaCrop model. Thus, five sowing dates on: 15 September, 15 October, 15 November, 30 November, and 15 December are tested in the AquaCrop crop model to simulate the Mexicali cultivar's grain yields under the BP, Sc1 and Sc2 scenarios. So, the average Mexicali cultivar's grain yields simulated by applying the above sowing dates in BP, Sc1, and Sc2 scenarios are reported in Figure 6. So, at the BBA site, as shown in Figure 6a, for the BP, the best simulated yield is estimated at 47.9 qha−<sup>1</sup> by applying a sowing date of 15 October. However, Mexicali cultivar's grain yield losses estimated at −37.5, −35, and −7% are projected in Sc1 with early sowing on 15 September, 15 October, and 15 November, respectively at the BBA site. However, late sowings on 30 November and 15 December allow grain yields a gain of +13% and +27%, respectively, under Sc1 at the BBA site. As shown in Figure 6. a, at this last experimental site, the Mexicali cultivar's grain yield gains are projected to decline under Sc2 with the delay of the sowing date. Thus, the best estimated grain yield is 70.5 qha−<sup>1</sup> simulated by applying an early sowing date of 15 September. In the case of the Setif site (Figure 6b), with early sowing on 15 October, the best Mexicali cultivar's grain yields simulated with AquaCrop are 54,69, and 73 qha−<sup>1</sup> for the BP, Sc1, and Sc2, respectively. So, as indicated in Figure 6b, the future Mexicali cultivar's grain yields in the Setif site tend to improve with early sowing (in September and October) and decrease with late sowing (in November and December).

**Figure 6.** (**a**,**b**) Wheat grain yield simulated by AquaCrop by adjusting the sowing dates to adapt wheat crop to the future climate change projected under Sc1 and Sc2 at BBA and Setif sites.
