Anchoring durum wheat diversity in the reality of traditional agricultural systems: varieties, seed management, and farmers’ perception in two Moroccan regions

Abstract

BackgroundTraditional agrosystems are the places were crop species have evolved and continue to evolve under a combination of human and environmental pressures. A better knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the dynamics of crop diversity in these agrosystems is crucial to sustain food security and farmers’ self-reliance. It requires as a first step, anchoring a description of the available diversity in its geographical, environmental, cultural and socio-economic context.MethodsWe conducted interviews with farmers cultivating durum wheat in two contrasted traditional agrosystems of Morocco in the Pre-Rif (163 farmers) and in the oases of the Atlas Mountains (110 farmers). We documented the varietal diversity of durum wheat, the main characteristics of the farms, the farming and seed management practices applied to durum wheat, and the farmers’ perception of their varieties.ResultsAs expected in traditional agrosystems, farmers largely practiced diversified subsistence agriculture on small plots and relied on on-farm seed production or informal seed exchange networks. Heterogeneity nevertheless prevailed on many variables, especially on the modernization of practices in the Pre-Rif region. Fourteen (resp. 11) traditional and 5 (resp. 3) modern varieties were identified in the Pre-Rif region (resp. in the Atlas Mountains). The majority of farmers grew a single variety, and most traditional varieties were distributed in restricted geographical areas. At the farm level, more than half of the varieties were renewed in the last decade in the Pre-Rif, a more rapid renewal than in the Atlas Mountain. Modern varieties were more prevalent in the Pre-Rif region and were integrated in the traditional practices of seed production, selection and exchange. They were clearly distinguished by the farmers from the landraces, the last ones being appreciated for their quality traits.ConclusionsThe surveyed traditional agrosystems constitute open, dynamic and heterogeneous entities. We suggest that competing factors could favour or limit the cultivation of improved varieties and the erosion of original durum wheat diversity. This first description opens the way to focused further investigations, including complementing variety names with cultural, genetic and phenotypic information and unravelling the multidimensional factors and consequences of modern variety adoption.

Towards a comprehensive characterization of durum wheat landraces in Moroccan traditional agrosystems: analysing genetic diversity in the light of geography, farmers’ taxonomy and tetraploid wheat domestication history

“…But in these studies, no other information than geographical location and large scale agro-ecological conditions was incorporated. Chentoufi et al [ 48 ] recently conducted interviews with farmers from the Pre-Rif and the oases of the Atlas Mountains. They inventoried the varietal names and described their geographical distribution.…”

“…Among their key results, they evidenced that the seed was in majority produced on farm, and that exchange practices included a combination on (mainly) purchase from local markets, supply from friends and relatives, and rarely, supply of modern varieties from agricultural extension offices. In these regions, modern varieties have indeed been introduced at variable levels and Chentoufi et al [ 48 ] showed that they were integrated into the traditional practices of seed exchange and management. Nevertheless, farmers clearly distinguished traditional from modern varieties, and appreciated the traditional varieties especially for the straw and the quality for food processing.…”

“…To address these questions, we used two data sets. One, denoted as the Moroccan sample, is made of a sample of Moroccan farmers’ population, identified by their varietal name and their farmer of origin [ 48 ]; the other, denoted as the INRA collection, is a worldwide collection of Triticum turgidum conserved at INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research) and including wild and domesticated subspecies. We considered three kinds of markers: The spike shape is an indicator of the taxonomical position, the stature of the plants is an indicator of breeding status, and a set of microsatellite markers gives us access to the neutral genetic diversity.…”

Agro Morphological Characterization and Study of Grain Yield of Algerian Durum Wheat (Triticum DURUM.DESF.

“…). The characterization and the evaluation of crop varieties allow us to protect and restore this genetic heritage .To be used at the end in breeding programs (Chentoufi et al;2014). Cereal improvement has long been and still is strongly oriented towards increasing productivity ( Boubaker et al ;1999).…”

Effect of Water Regime on Growth Performance of Durum Wheat (Triticum Durum Desf.) During Different Vegetative Phases

“…This result could be explained by climatic variations, including temperature and rainfall in the region. This hypothesis does not exclude, however, the specific genetic value of cultivars (Chentoufi et al, ). The weight of 1000 grains is significantly influenced by irrigation treatments, which marked changes of grain weights between 22.2 and 37.9 g. Our findings in this context are in agreement with the study of Chahbar and Belkhodja ().…”