Morocco's New Durum Wheat Varieties Developed For A Drier Climate

After years of drought pushed durum wheat out of parts of Morocco, ICARDA, Morocco’s National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), farmers and the Crop Trust are working together to bring the crop back with new varieties bred for a hotter, drier and more unpredictable climate.

Through seven years of collaboration under the Crop Trust’s BOLD project, ICARDA and INRA researchers have developed three promising Moroccan durum wheat varieties: Jawahir, Nachit and Sabil.

Jawahir, which matures early and has performed strongly under dry conditions, and Nachit, which has shown promise in oasis and irrigated production systems, have been registered by INRA and are now undergoing seed multiplication. Sabil is nearing official release.

The varieties are being tested directly in farmers’ fields across some of Morocco’s driest agricultural regions, from the semi-arid plains of Settat to Aït Baha and the Argana Valley.

“These varieties represent the future of durum wheat in Morocco,” says M. Bounaga, a farmer in Marchouch. “They give us confidence to continue despite the droughts. There isn’t a single farmer who walks past these plots without stopping, looking at them and wanting to try them.”

Farmers evaluate the wheat alongside researchers, helping identify the characteristics that matter most — from drought tolerance and yield to grain colour, maturity, straw production and food quality.

“We test the varieties directly in farmers’ fields, where they are exposed to the realities of heat, drought, poor soils and climate variability,” says Dr. Filippo Bassi, Principal Investigator - Genetic Innovation, and BOLD project lead in Morocco, ICARDA

This participatory approach helps ensure that new varieties are not only scientifically resilient but also suited to the realities of farming and more likely to be adopted.

As Morocco faces increasingly challenging growing conditions, this work demonstrates how collaboration between researchers and farmers can turn crop diversity and breeding innovation into practical solutions for climate-resilient agriculture.