Cultivation of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) in Tunisia is largely based on improved varieties of the crop. However, a few farmers continue to produce local cultivars or landraces. The National Gene Bank of Tunisia (NGBT) recently launched a collection project for faba bean landraces, with special focus on the regions of the North West, traditionally devoted to cultivating grain legumes, and where around 80% of the total national faba bean cultivation area is located. The seed phenotypic features of the collected samples were studied, and the genetic diversity and population structure analyzed using simple sequence repeat markers. The genetic constitution of the present samples was compared to that of faba bean samples collected by teams of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in the 1970s in the same region, and stored at the ICARDA gene bank. The results of the diversity analysis demonstrate that the recently collected samples and those stored at ICARDA largely overlap, thus demonstrating that over the past 50 years, little genetic change has occurred to the local faba bean populations examined. These findings suggest that farmers serendipitously applied international best practices for in situ conservation of agricultural crops.

Our study focuses on the molecular analysis of the genetic diversity within 15 Tunisian durum wheat varieties and the assessment of the efficiency of some available markers to select valuable genotypes for technological proprieties of semolina (i.e. parameters related to SDS-sedimentation, mixing time and breakdown resistance of mixograph, grain protein content and yellow colour). While several markers were validated, others were not informative within the genotypes used. A high level of polymorphic information content (PIC) was detected, with an average of 5.2 polymorph alleles per locus and 0.6 average. Old varieties have high protein content however; modern varieties display strong gluten strength. Our results thus open the opportunity to choose valuable parents on the base of pedigrees, technological properties and genetic distances; and lead us to select efficient markers for the Regional Indigenous Land Strategy (Rils) selection strategy.

The genetic diversity of a set of 21 hexaploid wheat germplasm from the National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia were investigated by applying 26 agro morphological traits and 10 wheat microsatellites molecular markers (Simple Sequence Repeat). The morphological variability was analyzed using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the cluster analysis based on ward's method and square Euclidean distance. Eighteen microsatellites primer pairs were tested for all genotypes, among them 10 primers generated polymorphic and reproducible profiles. They revealed a total of 414 reducible bands among which 373 were polymorphic. The polymorphic information content (PIC) values per locus varied from 0,33 to 0,94 with an average of 0,72. Genetic similarity values between genotypes, calculated by the molecular derived data, were used to produce a dendrogram. The genotypes were clustered in four clear groups according to their origin, pedigree and in some cases to phenotypic characters similarities.

Pearl millet, a drought-tolerant cereal, is a crucial role in food security, in arid and semi-arid regions. Despite its global significance, genetic diversity of Algerian pearl millet populations remains underexplored. This study assessed the genetic diversity of 22 pearl millet genotypes from four distinct Saharan agroclimatic zones in Algeria using 24 SSR markers. A total of 87 alleles were detected, with an average of 3.62 alleles per locus and polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranging from 0.043 to 0.815, indicating substantial genetic variability. Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) revealed greater genetic variance within individuals than among them. Genotypes from Tamanrasset and In Salah exhibited higher diversity than those from Oued Souf and Adrar, with private and rare alleles underscoring the impact of geographic isolation. Cluster analysis and principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) grouped genotypes by geographic origin, identifying five major genetic groups, confirming patterns of gene flow and local adaptation. Populations from Niger and India were highly genetic distant from Algerian landraces making them promising candidates for heterotic hybrid development. These findings provide insights for broadening the genetic base of breeding strategies targeting yield and stress resilience in pearl millet.