ITEMS FROM MOROCCO
Aridoculture Center
CRRA/INRA, B.P. 589, Settat, Morocco.
Bread wheat improvement for the dryland zones of Morocco.
M. Mergoum.
The 1993-94 climatic conditions were generally good in most of the cereal growing areas in Morocco. Selection pressures for many stresses, particularly for diseases and insects, were also present. About 220 crosses were established during the 1993-94 season. These include resistance to insect (Hessian fly) and diseases (Septoria, rusts, etc), as well as other desirable traits. F₁ plants were advanced successfully to the F₂ generation.
During the 1993-94 season, selection within segregating material (F₂, F₃, and F₄) as well as observation line nurseries (LOMBT and WON) was made at the JmFONT SIZE=2 FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman">t Shaim, Tassaout, and Sidi El Aydi Stations. The selection was based mainly on agronomic appearance and disease (foliar diseases) and insect (Hessian fly) resistance. 243, 77, and 361 populations, families, and lines were selected from the F₂, F₃, and F₄, respectively, and advanced to the next generation. From LOMBT and WON observation nurseries, about 80 lines were selected. These selected genotypes are included in preliminary yield trials in 1994-95.
From yield trials located in many experimental stations, about 67, 25, and 20 lines were selected from preliminary intermediate, and advanced and elite yield trials, respectively. These selected lines are included this season (1994-95) in yield trials for further testing.
Development of genetic resistance to root rot in wheat.
M. Mergoum and N. Nsarellah.
The 1993-94 growing season, except for the late-season drought that occurred in April, climatic conditions were excellent for cereals in general. This had a significant effect on the development of root rot disease. In fact, compared to the 1992-93 dry season where root rot prevailed in most wheat fields, few symptoms were detected in this season.
However, for durum wheats, data on plant emergence and tiller number showed significant differences between accessions and inoculation treatments. Plant emergence of most inoculated accessions (167) was significantly reduced. Reductions for these accessions varied from 7 to 23 %. Among the remaining accessions, only 21 were not affected by inoculation. Similarly, tiller number varied for both accessions and inoculation treatments. In general, plants of most treatments that had low plant emergence because of inoculation produced more tillers in order to compensate for reduced plant emergence. Therefore, the difference in tiller number between inoculated and control was less marked. This difference ranged from 5 to 15 %.
As mentioned earlier, white head percent was very low (less than 5 %) for all accessions. This is probably due to the good conditions of the season and, therefore, plants were not subjected to any water stress during most of the growing period. Thus, kernel weight was not affected by inoculation, although it did differ between accessions.
A bread wheat screening nursery also was planted in order to conduct a preliminary screening for root rot. It is well known that under Moroccan conditions, bread wheat is more tolerant than durums for root rot. No symptoms of this disease, particularly white heads, were detected in any of the tested accessions. However, several entries were discarded for other reasons (agronomic characters) and will not be included in other tests in the future. Hence, fewer accessions will have to be tested.
Durum wheat improvement in Morocco (1993-94).
N. Nsarellah and M. Mergoum.
Durum wheat was planted on more than 1.3 million hectares during the 1993-94 growing season in Morocco. The breeding program goal is the selection of new varieties with high yield potential adapted to the main agroecological zones and possessing genetic resistance to the major pests that limit potential production. These pests are Hessian fly, root rot, tan spot, barley yellow dwarf virus, and three rusts. Other constraints are grain quality and germination problems. During the 1993-94 growing season, more than 6,000 segregating families and advanced lines were tested at four to eight experiment stations. Two hundred advanced lines were tested in the yield trials at five experiment stations. A part of the world durum wheat collection was tested for resistance to tan spot, Hessian fly, and root rot. More than a hundred new crosses were made to incorporate Hessian fly resistance into adapted material. The creation of Hessian fly-resistant durum wheat is at the fifth backcross generation. These will be the first durum wheat lines in the region resistant to Hessian fly. Three new advanced lines were proposed for catalogue registration. Three other varieties, proposed in 1993, were maintained for their second year of testing.
Evaluation of the Maghrebine and International Durum Wheat Collections for resistance to Hessian fly in Morocco.
M. El Bouhssini, N. Nssarellah, A. Bentika, O. Benlahbib, and M. Nachit.
The objective of this study was to evaluate a collection of durum and wild wheat (Aegilops and Triticum species) for resistance to the Hessian fly. The trial was conducted at JemFONT SIZE=2 FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman">a Shaim Experiment Station. The results showed that 23 lines, among 139 accessions of wild wheat, were resistant. Aegilops squarrosa (D), Ae. ovata (UM), and Ae. triuncialis (UC) had the highest number of accessions resistant to the Moroccan Hessian fly. Only one accession (# 829) from the International collection was resistant to the Hessian fly in Morocco and a few other accessions of the Maghrebine collection showed some tolerance.
Evaluation of the USA Uniform Hessian Fly Nursery in Morocco.

M. El Bouhssini and J. H. Hatchett.
Field and greenhouse experiments showed that the resistance genes H21, H25, and H26 are effective against Hessian fly in Morocco. H21 and H25 were derived from rye via two translocations: 2BS-2RL and 4AS-4AL-6RL-4AL, respectively. H26 was derived from Ae. squarrosa. Breeders are in the process of transferring these genes to bread and durum wheats.
Evaluation of a cereal germplasm for resistance to Russian wheat aphid.
M. El Bouhssini, H. Boulmane, A. Sekkat, S. Lhaloui, M. Mergoum, A. Amri, and M. El Yamani.
The objective of this study was to evaluate germplasms of wheat, barley, and triticale for resistance to the Russian wheat aphid. Laboratory results showed that six barley lines ( PI366453, PI366449, PI366447, PI366450, Ciho 9897, and Ciho 1412) are highly resistant and have a variable combination of the three mechanisms of resistance (tolerance, antibiosis, and antixenosis). Two triticale lines ( ARD "S" (Ardilla) and TA 76/1638//LYNX "S") are resistant, and three bread wheat lines of the Moroccan Hessian fly nursery are moderately resistant.
Publications.
Amri A, Mergoum M, Jlibene M, and Douiyssi A. 1994. Cereal breeding strategies for the semi-arid and arid regions of Morocco. Performance of triticale in the drought-prone Moroccan regions. In: Res-Abstracts, Conference sur le thFONT SIZE=2 FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman"Pme "Acquis et perspectives de la recherche agronomique dans les zones arides et semi-arides". 24-27, Mai 1994, Rabat, Maroc. Pp. 93-94.
Aouad A, Mergoum M, and Baaziz M. 1994. Enzymatic and proteic polymorphisms of cereal cultivars with different drought adaptation. Performance of triticale in the drought-prone Moroccan regions. In: Res-Abstracts, Conference sur le thFONT SIZE=2 FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman"Pme "Acquis et perspectives de la recherche agronomique dans les zones arides et semi-arides". 24-27, Mai 1994, Rabat, Maroc. p. 100.
Boulmane H, El Bouhssini M, Lhaloui S, Sekkat A, El Yamani M, Bencharki B, Mergoum M, Amri A, and Nsarellah N. 1994. Evaluation of cereal germplasm for resistance to Russian wheat aphid. Performance of triticale in the drought-prone Moroccan regions. In: Res-Abstracts, Conference sur le thFONT SIZE=2 FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman"Pme "Acquis et perspectives de la recherche agronomique dans les zones arides et semi-arides". 24-27, Mai 1994, Rabat, Maroc. p. 123.
El Bouhssini M, Lhaloui S, Amri A, Jlibene M, Hatchett JH, Nssarellah N, and Nachitt M. 1995. Wheat genetic control of Hessian fly (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in Morocco. Field Crops Res (In press).
El Bouhssini M, Lhaloui S, Hatchett JH, Amri A, Jlibene M, Nsarellah N, Nachit M, Mergoum M, and Blnlahbib O. 1994. Genetic control of cereal insects in the semi-arid and arid regions of Morocco. Performance of triticale in the drought-prone Moroccan regions. In: Res-Abstracts, Conference sur le thFONT SIZE=2 FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman"Pme "Acquis et perspectives de la recherche agronomique dans les zones arides et semi-arides". 24-27, Mai 1994, Rabat, Maroc. Pp. 116-117.
Mergoum M. 1994. Implications of root rot (Fusarium culmorum and Cochliobolus sativus) on wheats in Morocco. Performance of Triticale in the drought-prone Moroccan regions. In: Res-Abstracts, Conference sur le thFONT SIZE=2 FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman"Pme "Acquis et perspectives de la recherche agronomique dans les zones arides et semi-arides". 24-27, Mai 1994, Rabat, Maroc. p. 114.
Mergoum M. 1994. Performance and adaptation of triticale to Moroccan environments. In: Proc Third Inter Triticale Symp, 13-17 June 1994, Lisbon, Portugal. p. G10 (Abstract).
Mergoum M, Nsarellah N, and El Bouhssini M. 1994. Evaluation des collections de bles aux pourritures racinaires et - la Cecidomyie au Maroc. Seminaire National sur la Biodiversite: "Ressources phytogenetiques et developement globale". 24-26 Octobre 1994, Rabat, Maroc. (Abstract).
Mergoum M, Nsarellah N, and Nachit M. 1994. Screening durum wheats for root rot (Fusarium culmorum and Cochliobolus sativus) resistance in Morocco. Performance of triticale in the drought-prone Moroccan regions. In: Res-Abstracts, Conference sur le thFONT SIZE=2 FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman"Pme "Acquis et perspectives de la recherche agronomique dans les zones arides et semi-arides". 24-27, Mai 1994, Rabat, Maroc. p. 115.
Mergoum M, Nsarellah N, Quick JS, and Nachit M. 1994. Root rots of wheat in Morocco: implications and screening for sources of tolerance. Fifth Arab Congress of Plant Protection. November 27 December 2, 1994, FFONT SIZE=2 FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman"Ps, Maroc. (Abstract).
Mergoum M, Quick JS, and Nsarellah N. 1994. Root rot of wheat: inoculation techniques and effects on yield and its components under varying water and nitrogen levels in Morocco. Al Awamia 85:49-66.
Mergoum M, Ryan J, and Nsarellah N. 1994. Performance of Triticale in the drought-prone Moroccan regions. In: Res-Abstracts, Conference sur le thFONT SIZE=2 FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman"Pme "Acquis et perspectives de la recherche agronomique dans les zones arides et semi-arides". 24-27, Mai 1994, Rabat, Maroc. p. 99.
Nachit M, Nsarellah N, Mergoum M, and Ouassou A. 1994. Durum wheat breeding strategy for the semi arid environments. Agron Abstr:103.
Nsarellah N. and Mergoum M. 1994. Comparison of tan spot virulence in the favorable and unfavorable rainfed areas of Morocco. Performance of triticale in the drought-prone Moroccan regions. In: Res-Abstracts, Conference sur le thFONT SIZE=2 FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman"Pme "Acquis et perspectives de la recherche agronomique dans les zones arides et semi-arides". 24-27, Mai 1994, Rabat, Maroc. p. 113.
Nsarellah N and Mergoum M. 1994. Relationship between leaf position and tan spot expression in wheats. Agron Abstr:103.
Nsarellah N and Mergoum M. 1994. Comparison of four tan spot rating methods under two field inoculation techniques in Morocco. Al Awamia 85: 65-78.
Nsarellah N, Nachit M, and Mergoum M. 1994. Factors affecting durum wheat performance under early and mid season drought stress. Performance of triticale in the drought-prone Moroccan regions. In: Res-Abstracts, Conference sur le thFONT SIZE=2 FACE="WP MultinationalA Roman"Pme "Acquis et perspectives de la recherche agronomique dans les zones arides et semi-arides". 24-27, Mai 1994, Rabat, Maroc. p. 97.