Morphological diversity of Western Balkan durum wheat landraces.

ABSTRACT: Wheat (Triticum spp.) is a vital food source for a substantial portion of the global population, with durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum Desf) particularly significant in warmer regions like the Mediterranean. However, the aggressive introduction, spread and adoption of elite germplasm has led to crop genetic diversity loss, prompting efforts to preserve local durum wheat landraces. This study investigates the phenotypic diversity of 80 durum wheat landraces originating from the Western Balkan region, including accessions from Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia. These landraces, locally known under traditional names such as 'Rogosija', 'Grbljanka', or 'Velja pšenica', represent a historical gene pool of durum wheat once widely cultivated until

SUBMITTER: Velimirovic A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12452949 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature