SEWANA (South Europe, West Asia and North Africa) Durum Research Network

Abstract

The importance of durum as a major food in the Mediterranean region is well established. ICARDA, in collaboration with the NARSs of WANA and South Europe, and CIMMYT, have been working for almost 17 years toward the major goal of improving durum yield and production in West Asia and North Africa. A systematic breeding approach for the Mediterranean dry land has laid the foundation for the development of the productive and stress-tolerant durum (PASTD) varieties. The current achievements made, show improved tolerance to drought, cold, and heat; improved resistance to the main diseases and insects occurring in the region; and better grain quality over the last decade. The Improvements in these traits heralded significant yield advances over the local durum varieties and the introduced high-yielding varieties in WANA region. Durum breeding efforts have been expanded through joint ICARDAICIMMYT's collaboration with NARSs of WANA and South Europe. In the midst of this productivity advances in dryland and improved quality; and along with the strong and dynamic ongoing collaboration among the participating programs in SEWANA integrated durum research network, we felt that to further expand the productivity of durum in the Mediterranean region and reinforce the ongoing joint works, there was a need to hold a workshop to further develop and integrate the knowledge accumulated during the last five years in the durum breeding, abiotic and biotic stresses, use of landraces and wild relatives, double haploid techniques, grain quality, and molecular markers techniques. To achieve this, we invited the durum researchers collaborating in the SEW ANA integrated durum research network and interested scientists for a four-day international workshop, 20-23 March 1995, at Aleppo, Syria. Selected papers from the collaborating scientists and others are presented to provide updated information on durum research. Discussion focused on developing and consolidating the activities of the network. For the different activities presented during the workshop, collective information assembled has been presented here. The network activities will continue to be on a voluntary basis, flexible, and based on the priorities set by the collaborating institutions, agreed activities among durum researchers in SEW ANA, and the other collaborating institutions outside the region.