Biography:

Abstract:

In Tunisia, some poor resourced farmers still grow traditional barley landraces in marginal, low‐input, drought‐stressed environments for both grain and strawfor animal and human feed. These landraces, which may represent valuable reservoirs of interesting genes useful in crop improvement for adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses, are represented by small populations with a high risk of local extinction due to a progressive substitution by improved modern barley varieties. These latter are extensively used by most farmers replacing the old cultivars. In this study, The populations (4) were collected from farmers, especially women, living in various rural locations in the south of Tunisia. Women do the main work in the field from harvesting till cleaning the seeds to be stored.They have a vital role to play in preserving natural resources, and promoting sustainable development. The barley (H. vulgare L.) landrace populations already collected were used to assess morphophysiological and biochemical diversity among barley landrace populations under water deficit conditions. The results showed that the local barley cultivar Ardhaoui collected from the village Tlalit (gouvernorate of Tataouine) was the most tolerant to drought when compared to three enhanced varieties.