June 4, 2026
Under the CLIMARES project, “Improving Food Security in West Asia and North Africa by Identifying and Promoting Climate-Resilient Wheat Varieties Resistant to Soil-Borne Pathogens”, CIMMYT and ICARDA are working closely with national and international partners to strengthen wheat systems against emerging climate and disease threats.
As climate change intensifies pressures on agricultural systems across Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA), the need for resilient wheat varieties and sustainable disease management strategies has become increasingly urgent. Under the CLIMARES project — “Improving Food Security in West Asia and North Africa by Identifying and Promoting Climate-Resilient Wheat Varieties Resistant to Soil-Borne Pathogens” — CIMMYT and ICARDA are working closely with national and international partners to strengthen wheat systems against emerging climate and disease threats.
In April and May 2026, a series of scientific missions and collaborative activities in Morocco and Jordan brought together researchers, students, farmers, policymakers, and private-sector partners to advance field evaluations, knowledge exchange, and regional partnerships focused on improving food security across the WANA region.
Advancing Wheat Research and Partnerships in Morocco
From April 20–23, 2026, Dr. Abdelfattah Dababat, CIMMYT Country Representative in Türkiye and CLIMARES Project Coordinator, conducted an official mission to Morocco under the framework of the CLIMARES project.
The visit began with a joint field mission to the Marchouch Experimental Station of INRA-Morocco in collaboration with Dr. Wuletaw Tadesse, senior wheat breeder at ICARDA-Morocco and principal investigator for the project. Researchers evaluated elite bread and durum wheat lines derived from first-year screening activities to assess their adaptation and resilience under local agro-climatic conditions.
The field evaluations generated critical data for identifying candidate wheat varieties with improved tolerance to climate stressors and resistance to soil-borne pathogens — a core objective of the CLIMARES initiative. Particular attention was given to threats such as Fusarium Crown Rot and plant-parasitic nematodes, which continue to significantly affect wheat productivity across the region.During the visit, Dr. Dababat also organized interactive in-field sessions with farmers, students, and agricultural stakeholders.
The Morocco mission also included a visit to a pathology research station in Kenitra, where additional technical exchanges highlighted the economic and agronomic impacts of soil-borne pathogens on wheat systems. These engagements strengthened awareness of how CLIMARES research outputs can support scalable and farmer-centered solutions across the CWANA region.
The mission concluded with participation in the International Agriculture Exhibition (SIAM) in Meknès, one of the region’s leading agricultural events. On the sidelines of SIAM, Dr. Dababat held bilateral meetings with representatives from INRA, ICARDA, Syngenta, and FAO to explore future collaboration opportunities in climate adaptation, varietal improvement, sustainable crop protection, and food security.
The Morocco visit reinforced the importance of regional and international partnerships in accelerating climate-resilient agricultural innovation and expanding the impact of wheat research across WANA countries.
Scientific Exchange and Field Evaluations in Jordan
Building on the momentum generated in Morocco, CIMMYT and ICARDA organized a dedicated scientific program in Jordan from May 4–7, 2026, under the CLIMARES framework and with support from the Benefit-sharing Fund (BSF) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
The program brought together academic staff, students, researchers, and project participants from Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon to strengthen regional collaboration around climate-resilient wheat systems and sustainable management of soil-borne pathogens.
A plenary session delivered by Prof. Dr. Abdelfattah Dababat at the University of Jordan’s School of Agriculture highlighted the growing impact of soil-borne pathogens on wheat productivity and showcased CIMMYT’s ongoing efforts to integrate disease management, soil health improvement, and climate adaptation strategies across agroecosystems. Participants also gained insights into CIMMYT Türkiye’s research model and its contributions to resilient wheat production systems.
As part of the scientific program, participants visited the Syngenta Crop Protection Development research station in Amman, where they were introduced to innovative approaches for enhancing crop performance under changing climatic conditions.
Field Day Highlights Promising Wheat Germplasm
A major highlight of the Jordan program was the Scientific Field Day held on May 6, 2026, under the patronage of the Director General of the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC).
The event gathered researchers, breeders, agricultural engineers, students, and stakeholders to review ongoing research activities and strengthen collaboration on food security challenges in the CWANA region. Conducted at the National Seed Bank field at NARC, the field trial featured 62 bread and durum wheat varieties and breeding lines arranged across four replicated blocks, alongside locally approved check varieties including Haurani, Norsieh, Safra Ma’an, Marou, and Sham.
Discussions during the field observations also examined the effects of environmental variables such as planting dates and soil texture variability on crop performance, underscoring the importance of adaptive agronomic practices under increasingly variable climate conditions.
The evaluated germplasm is currently being tested across multiple countries, including Syria, Lebanon, and North African nations, where 54 genotypes and eight check varieties are under evaluation. Ongoing research aims to identify the most suitable climate-resilient varieties for each target environment based on yield performance and disease resistance characteristics.
Building Regional Momentum for Food Security
The CLIMARES activities in Morocco and Jordan successfully facilitated scientific exchange, strengthened regional partnerships, and advanced collaborative research on climate-resilient wheat systems. More than 50 participants engaged directly in the Jordan program, while outreach activities indirectly reached more than 200 stakeholders across the region.
Importantly, the joint germplasm evaluations have already resulted in the identification of several promising elite wheat lines that may proceed to registration trials and fast-track seed multiplication by national programs in the coming season.
As climate pressures continue to challenge agricultural production systems across CWANA, initiatives such as CLIMARES demonstrate the value of regional collaboration, scientific innovation, and integrated disease management in securing resilient wheat systems and strengthening long-term food security for farming communities.
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