Evaluation de la diversité morphologique des variétés traditionnelles de sorgho du Nord-ouest du Maroc

Evaluating morphological diversity of sorghum landraces from North Western Morocco. In this study, we assessed the pattern of variation in spikelet morphology and vegetative characters of sorghum landraces sampled in situ from 5 fields under traditional cultivation system in North Western Morocco. We use 22 quantitative and qualitative morphological traits to evaluate diversity for an amount of 125 individual plants. Data showed a great morphological variability among fields due to yield parameters (DIAM, POIDS), growth characters (HAU, LOF, LAF, DIA) and spikelet morphology (LOP, PED). The use of their own seeds for culture combined with peasants’ selection based on phenotypic characters would play an important role in persistence of diversity among farmers’ fields. Since farmers from North Western Morocco use a marginal cropping system for sorghum, we suggest the implementation of an in situ and ex situ conservation program to protect this genetic richness.