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Integrating wild plants and landrace conservation in farming systems: A perspective from Italy

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... It is now appreciated that the problem of loss of diversity needs to be faced and conservation activities implemented. For some of them ex situ conservation may be required where for others in situ or even on farm conservation strategies would seem more appropriate (Negri et al., 2007). Since 1970, we have actively evaluated biodiversity in relation to the history of Sicilian vegetable cultivation in order to avoid the risk of germplasm disappearance of cultivated species as has occurred, for example, in parsnip (Pastinaca sativa, Umbelliferae) and seakale (Crambe maritima, Brassicaceae) as well as to recuperate ancient landraces (Scuderi and Branca, 2006). ...
... On the basis of preliminary genetic studies, other characterisitics of this type are intermediate between those of the two putative relatives, cauliflower and broccoli. The available genetic variability is rather broad based for both the plant's vegetative phase, as well as the size, structure, flower bud size, and colour of the curd (Branca, 1998Branca, , 2000bBranca, , 2008 Negri et al., 2007 ). The specific activities of collection , characterization, and conservation underway have up to now avoided genetic pollution and the risk of genetic erosion due to the widespread presence of new F 1 hybrids of cauliflower , characterised by short cycle and smaller sized plants. ...
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Si cily is the largest Italian region with 25,000 km 2 of surface, of which only 15% is plain, while 60% is hilly and 25% is mountai-nous, and about 5 millions of inhabitants, which represent about 10% of Italian people. The population is concentrated mainly along the coastal areas, such as in the populated cities of Agrigento, Catania, Messina, Palermo, Siracusa and Trapani, which were the first ones to be colonised in ancient time. The history of the island, traversed in turn by Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Arabs, Normans, Spaniards and French, is reflected in its ethnic composition and horticultural diversity. As a result of Sicily's ancient past and its unique geo-graphic location there are a great number of vegetables grown under various environmental, Ferdinando Branca and Giuseppe La Malfa Increasing attention is now being paid to diversity in horticulture in order to understand and chronicle food crop variation and to safeguard and conserve valuable genetic material. This is particularly true for vegetables that have important implications in agrosystems and growing techniques, the exploitation of niche environments, social systems, and culinary history. Here we briefly review some traditional vegetable crops grown in home gardens and peri-urban farms in East Sicily and especially the Catania province as a result of the unique environmental conditions that prevail and the special history of Sicily. agronomical, economical, and social contexts including home gardens and peri-urban farms. Some unique vegetables make up a prominent part of the well known Sicilian cuisine, which remains linked with traditional local events and customs, many of which are related to particu-lar areas. Catania province and the slopes of Mount Etna (37°N) is one of these special sites based on a combination of specific soils and temperature conditions as well as for its histori-cal and ethnic anthropology. In this context, vegetable crops show unique traits and charac-teristics as a consequence of particular growing methods and special culinary uses. The mild climate conditions along this part of the east coast of Sicily are characterised by high tempe-rature and radiation value but with great
... One of the most threatened components of agricultural plant genetic resources is crop landrace (local variety) [4][5][6], which is defined as a crop that has never been subjected to formal plant breeding [7] and has developed its unique characteristics through in situ selection operated by growers, representing a constituent part of rural cultures and landscapes [8]. ...
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The study of nutritional properties in landrace products and the general context of its cultivation site are crucial to designing a sustainable on-farm strategy for landrace conservation. The present study describes the main nutritional aspects of two Brassica rapa subspecies rapa landraces collected in Puglia, Italy along with agroecological and socioeconomical traits where they are cultivated. The two B. rapa landraces (‘Cima di rapa dalla testa’ and ‘Cima di rapa antica’) are only found in sites at 700–800 m asl and in two landscape units (the Southern Daunian Mountains (SDM) and the Umbra Forest (UF), respectively) of the Foggia province. These rare landraces were selected by farmers to produce turnip greens/tops from ancient root turnip crops. They are named and consumed by local people in the same way as turnip tops of Brassica rapa subspecies sylvestris (‘Cima di rapa’), which are widely cultivated in Puglia. Compared to the most common ‘Cima di rapa’, the two highlighted landraces have a better nutritional profile linked to an improved content in antioxidant compounds—i.e., vitamin C (458 mg kg−1 FW), total phenols (347 mg ac. gallic equivalent kg−1 FW)—in glucosinolate (741 µmol kg FW−1, in ‘Cima di rapa antica’) and in minerals, such as K. Both landraces are deemed as having a high risk of erosion. Few exemplars are cultivated in marginal lands and urban/peri-urban areas (SDM), or in isolated sites within the UF, which is a special protection zone within Gargano National Park. However, natural, cultural, and recreational tourism are the main economic activities in both landscape units.
... One of the most threatened components of agricultural plant genetic resources is crop landrace Ceccarelli 2012;Kell et al. 2012) defined as a crop that: (i) has developed its unique characteristics through in situ selection operated by growers; (ii) has never been subjected to formal plant breeding (Kell et al. 2008); and (iii) represents a constituent part of rural cultures and landscapes (Negri et al. 2008). Thus landraces are strongly linked to the biological, cultural and socio-economic contexts where they have been developed. ...
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This paper reports the results of a survey carried out in the Foggia province (Puglia Region, Italy) with the aims of: (1) assessing the level of diversity and distribution of the on-farm vegetable landraces, (2) identifying vegetable landrace-rich areas, and (3) analysing the main agro-ecological, socio-economic factors affecting their maintenance. Several territorial surveys were performed over four years and a total of 163 vegetable crop landraces were found at 52 sites, mostly cultivated on small farms or home gardens by elderly farmers. The surveyed landraces belong to nine botanical families and 34 species, with the highest number for Solanaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Brassicaceae, Liliaceae and Leguminosae. The diversity status of the landraces was evaluated by adopting a landscape scale approach considering the provincial landscape types (LT) (3) and, within each LT, the landscape units (LU) accounting for the incidence of high-productive and marginal agricultural systems and of natural/seminatural systems. Principal component analysis clearly separated one landscape unit for each LT for their higher abundance of landraces and higher diversity, richness and evenness of species. These LUs are characterized by high-ecological and agricultural marginal land where the low fertility of soil seems conducive to landraces maintenance. Additionally, the preservation of vegetable diversity may be linked to the distance of the surveyed sites from the most important urban centres along with the commitment of local people and/or tourists to traditional products and their related cultural aspects.
... This caused a consistent abandonment of marginal lands and a parallel loss of agricultural genetic diversity. Nevertheless, the landraces of several crops remained part of the farming systems due to rural traditions linked to food and feed [68][69][70]. Fortunately, the risk of the genetic erosion of local germplasm was opportunely recognized earlier than other countries [14], and in the 1990s, four Regions of Central Italy (Tuscany, Umbria, Latium and Marche) promulgated laws aimed at collecting and conserving ex-situ and in-situ genetic resources. A detailed inventory of available accessions was published by Negri in 2003 [71], and recent studies confirmed the richness of the agricultural biodiversity of this area due to peculiar soil, climatic and social conditions [15,[72][73][74][75][76]. ...
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Roveja di Civita di Cascia" is a landrace of Pisum sativum grown in marginal land habitats of the Apennines, Central Italy, and is one of the eleven herbaceous crop landraces listed in the Regional Register of local varieties. The objective of the present paper was to assess its genetic structure using 62 morphological traits and five microsatellites. As many as 55 traits showed significant differences with the control entries (P. sativum subsp. sativum var. arvense and var. sativum). We tested P. sativum Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) for their transferability to "Roveja", and found that only 12 out of 35 performed well. Of these, we demonstrated that five were sufficient to assess the genetic structure of this landrace, characterized by several private alleles, differentiating it from Paladio and Bluemoon, which were used as controls. Phenotypic and genotypic data evidenced a genetic structure based on a blend of several pure-bred lines. The sustainability of on-farm landrace conservation is discussed.
... gongylodes). The large presence of landraces underlines the relationship with the traditional farm system (Negri et al., 2008). A lot of different aromatic plants (basil, parsley, oregano, sage, rosemary, etc.) is cultivated and there is a high presence of fruit trees (until 9 plants for single lot), which is a typical element of the Sicilian family gardens. ...
... Thell.) and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). In addition, there is an increasing interest in exploiting wild and cultivated germplasm, traditionally linked to the territory (Negri et al., 2007), with the aim to certify the production with protected geographical indication (PGI), or protected designation of origin (PDO). ...
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Kale is an underutilized crop which seems to be the first result of the domestication process of Brassica oleracea wild type complex (n=9). This crop is still grown in all European countries in home gardens and peri-urban vegetable farms and is appreciated for its rusticity and the high content of bioactive compounds. Kale leaves, in fact, contain high amounts of total polyphenols, ascorbic acid and glucosinolates. Seed production is important for a wide range of vegetable crops and its development depends upon many factors such as the genetic profile and physiological and environmental conditions. An important prerequisite for the successful production of seeds is the optimal timing of harvest. In view to enhance kale production and provide to growers qualified genotypes, attention was paid to the evaluation of twenty-three types of kale grown on the Italian and Iberian peninsulas for seed production which were compared to four commercial cultivars. Besides seed production, in the experiment plant characterization, according to the main IBPGRI descriptors, was performed. Seeds were sown in seedling trays and were transplanted when they had 4-5 expanded leaves. An experimental field (following a density of 2 plants m-2) was carried out with the aim to determine seed yields. The experimental design was a splitplot with three replicates. Siliquas were collected from ten plants for each replicas when the seeds reached their physiological maturity. Seed production showed significant differences among the compared genotypes; it varied from 0.59 q ha-1 to 25.69 q ha-1 respectively for one Italian and one Iberian types; the Italian landraces showed to be more productive. Plant characterization highlighted allowed to highlight the descriptors which appeared more discriminating such as plant shape, as well as several leaf and petiole traits.
... Thell.) and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). In addition, there is an increasing interest in exploiting wild and cultivated germplasm, traditionally linked to the territory (Negri et al., 2007), with the aim to certify the production with protected geographical indication (PGI), or protected designation of origin (PDO). ...
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After reviewing the reasons for vegetable gardening and the main typologies of traditional urban vegetable cultivation in the Mediterranean region, scientific and operative questions related to the case study of Catania urban area are highlighted. The paper briefly reviews agronomical and biological traits of urban and peri-urban vegetable gardening as expressions of a specific environment as well as reflecting the long horticultural history of Sicily. Data acquired are of interest from an historical point of view and in perspective may represent a useful tool to preserve crops, landraces and their growing knowledge with the aim to exploit them for product innovation by new food process technologies. Future trends and the new functions of urban vegetable gardening were also analysed.
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Globe artichoke is native to the Mediterranean basin, where it is presumed to have evolved from thewild cardoon. Italy is a leading producer and numerous varietal types, which are usually vegetatively propagated, are grown. At present, Italian germplasm is at risk of genetic erosion due to the recent introduction of varieties selected abroad, as well as the concentration on a limited number of varietal types best fitting market demand. The aim of this studywas to assess the level of genetic variation, via AFLP fingerprinting, present in autochthonous globe artichoke germplasm in Sicily, thought to be one of the origins of its domestication. Seven populations were identified, of which three were of the spiny type ‘Spinoso di Palermo’ and four of the non-spiny type ‘Violetto di Sicilia’.Asignificant genetic differentiation between spiny and non-spiny types was found. In each type, the majority of the genetic variation was present within, rather than between populations, presumably as a consequence of the multiclonalcomposition of each varietal type.Most of the populationswere genetically distinct, as a result of farm fragmentation and adaptation to local pedo-climatic conditions. The genetic distribution detected supplies important information for the implementation of ‘on farm’ germplasm preservation strategies, and stresses the need for clonal selection programmes in order to provide more uniform material to farmers.
Article
How many individuals are enough to ensure long term survival of a species? What are the effects of chance on demographic structure and genetic variability? How can we work together to ensure viable populations? These questions and others are explored in this excellent little book. It concentrates on theory, especially aspects of viability analysis, although there is a case study, and also examples of interagency activities. As in any book, readers can find passages that support their pre-existing views, but taken as a whole this one provides considerable balance. The editor admits that in places he is arguing for his personal preference. Other authors stress that many decisions in conservation biology rightly belong to the community and not just the scientists for whom this book is primarily intended.
Article
Eryngium alpinum L. is an endangered species found across the European Alps. In order to obtain base-line data for the conservation of this species, we investigated levels of genetic diversity within and among 14 populations from the French Alps. We used the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique with three primer pairs and scored a total of 62 unambiguous, polymorphic markers in 327 individuals. Because AFLP markers are dominant, within-population genetic structure (e.g. FIS) could not be assessed. Analyses based either on the assumption of random-mating or on complete selfing lead to very similar results. Diversity levels within populations were relatively high (mean Nei's expected heterozygosity = 0.198; mean Shannon index = 0.283), and a positive correlation was detected between both genetic diversity measurements and population size (Spearman rank correlation: P = 0. 005 and P = 0.002, respectively). Moreover, FST values and exact tests of differentiation revealed high differentiation among populations (mean pairwise FST = 0.40), which appeared to be independent of geographical distance (nonsignificant Mantel test). Founder events during postglacial colonizations and/or bottlenecks are proposed to explain this high but random genetic differentiation. By contrast, we detected a pattern of isolation by distance within populations and valleys. Predominant local gene flow by pollen or seed is probably responsible for this pattern. Concerning the management of E. alpinum, the high genetic differentiation leads us to recommend the conservation of a maximum number of populations. This study demonstrates that AFLP markers enable a quick and reliable assessment of intraspecific genetic variability in conservation genetics.
Article
In the frame of the activities carried out to exploit Sicilian local cultivars of brassicas, we focused our attention on some of the potential health compounds of various local cruciferous crops. These compounds are of interest to improve the quality of the produce with the aim to develop new cultivars capable of providing functional foods able to prevent disease. In this context, we surveyed for the presence of specific glucosinolates in local cultivars of broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and in some wild species widespread in Sicily, using as control various commercial cultivars. Glucosinolate composition varied extensively among species and crops of the same species, such as cauliflower, broccoli and kale. Cultivar variation for glucosinolate profile was also observed for some crops. For example, Sicilian cultivars of cauliflower possessing colored curds displayed a high content of glucosinolates, glucoraphanin in particular, compared to white curd commercial cultivars. Also some wild species had a high content of other glucosinolates.
Article
Globe artichoke ( Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus L.) is a diploid (2 n=2 x=34), predominantly cross-pollinated plant native to the Mediterranean basin, and Italy contains the richest primary cultivated 'gene pool'. Commercial production is mainly based on perennial cultivation of vegetatively propagated clones that are highly heterozygous and segregate widely when progeny-tested. Analysis of the artichoke genome by means of molecular markers has been limited to a few studies; here we report on the genetic relatedness among 118 artichoke accessions, including clones belonging to the same varietal type, two accessions of cultivated cardoon ( C. cardunculus L. var. altilis DC.) and four accessions of wild cardoon [ C. cardunculus L. var. sylvestris (Lamk) Fiori] as measured by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Eight primer combinations yielded a total of 667 bands, of which 519 were polymorphic. Genetic similarities among accessions were calculated according to Jaccard's Similarity Index and used to construct a dendrogram based on the unweighted pair group method using arithmetic averages. Our results demonstrate that AFLP markers can be useful in evaluating Cynara cardunculus genetic diversity and in classifying accessions to phylogenetic groups based on their genetic similarity values. Genetic variation among artichoke clones belonging to the same varietal type was in some cases higher than that found among accessions differently named and coming from different areas. The lowest Jaccard's Similarity Index found within a varietal type can be considered as a threshold for the identification of accessions which share an analogous genetic background. This will enable the selection of representatives in order to develop and manage a germplasm 'core collection' as well as the identification of suitable material for future artichoke breeding efforts.
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