As climate change continues to disrupt rainfall patterns and threaten agricultural production, Moroccan and international researchers have developed three new durum wheat varieties designed to withstand drought and extreme heat while maintaining high yields.
The varieties were developed through a partnership between Morocco’s National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) as part of the Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods and Development (BOLD) project.
The initiative aims to help Morocco adapt its agricultural sector to increasingly frequent droughts by developing climate-resilient crops capable of ensuring stable harvests and reinforcing the country’s food security.
The three new varieties — Jawahir, Nacht and Sabil — are the product of more than seven years of research and were selected through a participatory process involving scientists and farmers from some of Morocco’s most drought-affected regions.
According to researchers, Jawahir is an early-maturing variety that delivers high yields under extremely arid conditions, while Nacht can adapt to a wide range of environments, including irrigated farmland and oasis ecosystems. Sabil combines strong resistance to water stress with high grain quality and abundant straw production, an important source of livestock feed.
The research phase has now been completed, paving the way for the varieties’ introduction to the agricultural sector.
Sabil has already been officially registered in Morocco’s National Catalogue of Plant Species and Varieties by INRA, while Jawahir and Nacht are undergoing seed multiplication by the National Seed Marketing Company (SOGAP). Both are expected to become commercially available to farmers between 2027 and 2028.
Researchers say early feedback from farmers has been encouraging.
A farmer from the Marchouch region said the new varieties have strengthened growers’ confidence as they contend with increasingly frequent drought episodes.
Beyond seed development, the project seeks to address one of the main obstacles to agricultural innovation: encouraging farmers to adopt new crop varieties.
Researchers note that many producers remain attached to traditional seeds and that studies have shown that the absence of demonstration plots and limited farmer involvement can slow the adoption of agricultural innovations.
To overcome these barriers, the BOLD project team, led by ICARDA researcher Filippo Bassi, tested the wheat varieties directly on working farms rather than exclusively under controlled conditions.
The participatory approach allows farmers to assess characteristics that matter in practice, including straw production, grain appearance and market value, while helping strengthen trust between scientific research and rural communities.
The development comes as Morocco faces mounting pressure from recurring droughts and rising temperatures, prompting authorities and researchers to accelerate efforts to improve the resilience of the agricultural sector and safeguard the country’s long-term food security.
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