Algeria represents a reservoir of genetic diversity with local sheep breeds adapted to a large range of environments and showing specific features necessary to deal with harsh conditions. This remarkable diversity results from the traditional management of dryland by pastoralists over centuries. Most of these breeds are poorly productive, and the economic pressure leads farmers to realize anarchic cross-breeding (that is, not carried out in the framework of selection plans) with the hope to increase animal's conformation. In this study, eight of the nine local Algerian sheep breeds (D'men, Hamra, Ouled-Djellal, Rembi, Sidaoun, Tazegzawt, Berber and Barbarine) were investigated for the first time by genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping. At an international scale, Algerian sheep occupied an original position shaped by relations with African and European (particularly Italian) breeds. The strong genetic proximity with Caribbean and Brazilian breeds confirmed that the genetic make-up of these American breeds was largely influenced by the Atlantic slave trade. At a national scale, an alarming genetic dilution of the Berber (a primitive breed) and the Rembi was observed, as a consequence of uncontrolled mating practices with Ouled-Djellal. A similar, though less pronounced, phenomenon was also detected for the Barbarine, another ancestral breed. Genetic originality appeared to be better preserved in Tazegzawt, Hamra, D'men and Sidaoun. These breeds should be given high priority in the establishment of conservation plans to halt their progressive loss. For Berber and Barbarine that also occur in the bordering neighbor countries, urgent concerted transnational actions are needed.

The present study aimed to characterize a subset of 10 selected chickpea accessions (Cicer arietinum L.) using SSR. The result indicated a presence of a total of 59 alleles. The genetic diversity at the 15 microsatellites loci was varied from 0, 32 for TA22 to 0.78 for TA72 and TA117 with an average of 0.66. Polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.27 to 0.74. This study also detected a high significant (P less than 0.01) positive correlation between alleles per locus, gene diversity (H) and polymorphism information content (PIC). In the dendrogram and on the PCoA bi-plots, chickpea genotypes were adjoined according to their geographic origin, type of chickpea (Kabuli/ Desi). Nevertheless, the distribution of the different grouping through the factorial correspondence analysis (AFC) is due to the genetic variability.

As part of the characterization and identification of varieties of chickpeas, we have undertaken prospecting and collection of plant material through the Wilaya of Tlemcen.In the present work two landrace Garbaansa and Bled, were used where the goal was to characterize and analyze the effect of the genotype environment interaction. The analysis of the morphometric data showed that the height of the plant depends in its expression of the genotype × environment interaction, the total number of pods per plant is unique to the genetics of the species and its expression is dependent on the genotype × environment interaction. The number of seeds per pod is a genotype-specific trait that is influenced by the environment and is the result of interaction between the latter two. The size of the chickpea grain is related to the environment, the genotype and the expression of which comes from the interaction of the medium × genotype.

Dans le cadre de la caractérisation et de la valorisation du laurier noble en Algérie, nous avons entrepris des prospections et des collectes de matériel végétal à travers les wilayas de Tlemcen, Saïda, Alger et Chlef. Une caractérisation morphométrique a été réalisée sur les principaux caractères morphologiques notés sur les arbres et les feuilles, des analyses de variances, l'ACP et la corrélation de Pearson ont montré quelques différences entre les individus des quatre régions à travers ces caractères quantitatifs et qualitatifs. Les analyses de sol ont montré une certaine ressemblance dans les propriétés physiques et chimiques. L'extraction des huiles essentielles nous a donné des rendements variables et les analyses physico-chimiques de ces huiles ont montré des résultats presque identiques pour tous les échantillons.