**11. Durum wheat**

Durum wheat (*Triticum turgidum* var. L. *durum*) is grown on over 1 million ha. Forty-five percentage of which are sown in the arid and semiarid regions, 11% in high altitudes and 44% in more favorable areas [56]. The complexity of the population structure of wheat landraces may arise from a number of different homozygotes and the occurrence and frequency of heterozygotes in populations. The assessment of genetic diversity between and within wheat landraces is essential to utilize landraces as donors of traits in wheat breeding and to identify priority areas for on-farm conservation.

Landraces could act as donors of important characteristics, such as drought and cold tolerance and mainly grain quality. In general, they represent significantly broader genetic diversity than modern varieties, and, therefore, they could contribute to extend the genetic base of modern cultivars. The identification of quality parameters such as protein content, gluten strength, yellow pigment and their integration in the improved varieties is a priority in research on durum wheat [57]. Mineral content in modern wheat cultivars has significantly decreased, including copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium and zinc. High levels of these nutrients can be found in landraces and old low-yielding varieties [56].

Landraces displayed a wide range of genetic diversities. This local germplasm forms an interesting source of favorable quality traits such as protein content, gluten strength and yellow pigment content useful to durum wheat breeders. The persistent cultivation of durum wheat landraces in some regions attests to their continued value to farmers and to their competitive agronomic or nutritional advantage relative to modern varieties. Adding value of these landrace is the main motivating factor for their on-farm conservation. Fungi seed treatment against seed-borne diseases and chemical weeding at the right time could improve the landrace productivity in a simple way.

Furthermore, composite landraces made up of promising lines selected from landraces could be another way for durum wheat landrace valorization. But, on-farm conservation of durum wheat genetic resources in Morocco could be more efficient provided that legislation changes are made that make it possible to market landraces as diversified genetic materials and encourage their consumption [56]. Durum wheat landraces have over many generations become adapted to the local environment and cultural conditions under which they are grown. Development of new varieties from landraces could be a viable strategy to improve yield and yield stability, especially under stress and future climate change conditions.
