Local cultivars are very diversified and hardy. Faced with the challenges of climate change and high demand for maize products, the acquisition of new sources that can be included in a variety creation program is essential. For this reason, a study was conducted on local cultivars collected in Burkina Faso in 2011 and in Togo in 2014. This study had two parts. The first part identified local cultivars in the material collected in Togo. Out of 18 cultivars collected in Togo 15 were selected as true local cultivars. After characterizing the 20 local cultivars from Burkina Faso, a structuring of the local cultivars from the two countries revealed that those from Togo were large, late and less productive. The second part of the study made it possible to select among the local cultivars those that better valorize fertilization and those that better tolerate juvenile water stress.