Assessment of Resistance to Cereal Cyst Nematodes, Heterodera avenae in Moroccan Durum and Bread Wheat Elite Breeding Lines

Abstract

Cereal cyst nematodes (Heterodera avenae) pose a significant threat to wheat production in North Africa. This study assessed the resistance of 100 elite wheat breeding lines (51 durum and 49 bread wheat) from Morocco against H. avenae. Using a single population of the pathogen from the Zaers region, resistance was evaluated based on nematode reproduction factors, categorized into five classes ranging from resistance to high susceptibility. Three durum wheat lines (L7, L19, and L41) and six bread wheat lines (L8, L12, L14, L29, L38, and L44) displayed moderate resistance. These findings offer valuable insights into potential sources of resistance within Moroccan wheat germplasm, that could contribute to the development of improved varieties for sustainable cereal production in the region. Further future investigations could help to identify and utilize the specific genes and understand mechanisms responsible for the observed resistance in these promising wheat lines.