The Tunisian durum wheat germplasm includes modern cultivars and traditional varieties that are still cultivated in areas where elite cultivars or intensive cultivation systems are not suitable. Within the frame of a collection program of the National Gene Bank of Tunisia (NGBT), durum wheat germplasm was collected from different Tunisian agro-ecological zones. The collected samples were studied using simple sequence repeats (SSRs) markers to explore the genetic diversity and evaluate the genetic structure in Tunisian germplasm. The results demonstrated significant diversity in the Tunisian durum wheat germplasm, with clear differentiation between traditional varieties and modern cultivars. The population structure analysis allowed the identification of five subpopulations, two of which appear to be more strongly represented in germplasm collected in central and southern Tunisia, where environmental conditions at critical development phases of the plant are harsher. Moreover these subpopulations are underrepresented in modern varieties, suggesting that traits of adaptation useful for breeding more resilient varieties might be present in central and southern germplasm. Moreover, our results will support, the activity of in situ on farm conservation of Tunisian durum wheat germplasm started by the National Gene Bank of Tunisia along with the ex situ approach.

Narbon vetch (Vicia narbonensis L.) is a promising forage legume with good resistance to cold and drought. The assessment of genetic diversity of Narbon vetch is an essential component in germplasm management. In this study, we analysed the genetic diversity of 13 local and introduced Narbon vetch accessions from three continents using 27 morphological traits and 13 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Significant differences among accessions for morphological and phenological traits were observed. The SSR markers showed a total of 126 alleles with a mean number of two alleles per locus. Polymorphic information content values were in the range of 0.772–0.915 with an average of 0.858. A high level of diversity (Nei’s genetic differentiation index of 59) was observed among accessions. Analysis of genetic distances separated the studied accessions into three groups based on both morphological and SSR markers. Cluster analysis of the SSR markers separated the accessions into three groups according to geographical origin. The Tunisian populations shared the same morphological traits but differed genetically from each other and were similar to those from Lebanon. A significant correlation was detected between morphological traits and SSR markers. The results suggested that SSR markers can be used to efficiently distinguish Narbon vetch accessions and estimate their genetic diversity.