Extensive surveys were carried out by Dr Ramdani, the INRA cereal pathologist, during the second fortnight of April and the first week of May 2010. The surveys covered the major wheat growing areas and were conducted when the growth stage of wheat ranged from anthesis to physiological maturity. The data recorded were host species and its growth stage, visual assessment of grain yield and incidence and severity of the main diseases. A total of 72 fields were surveyed using standard BGRI methodology, of these 53 fields were Bread Wheat and 19 fields Durum Wheat. The surveys covered all the major diseases of wheat and not just rusts.

This survey revealed that the most prevalent diseases on both bread and durum wheats were Septoria-like diseases, leaf rust, yellow rust and at some extent root rot complex. Powdery mildew and common bunt were less prevalent and were detected both on bread wheat and on durum wheat, whilst stem rust was observed on some fields of durum and loose smut on some fields of bread wheat. On the whole, 91 and 79% of bread wheat and durum wheat fields respectively were infected by SLD, whilst leaf rust was detected on 75 and 58% respectively. Yellow rust was detected on 64 and 32% of bread wheat fields and durum fields respectively. The severity of SLD ranged from zero to 100% with Gharb being the area where Septoria was most severe followed by Zemour and Pré-Rif areas. The coefficient of infection for leaf rust ranged from zero to 50 with the highest infection observed in Sais area. That for Yellow rust ranged from zero to 80 with the highest infection observed in Sais, Tadla and Middle Atlas.