Joan Simó

Toward an Evolved Concept of Landrace

The term “landrace” has generally been defined as a cultivated, genetically heterogeneous variety that has evolved in a certain ecogeographical area and is therefore adapted to the edaphic and climatic conditions and to its traditional management and uses. Despite being considered by many to be inalterable, landraces have been and are in a constant state of evolution as a result of natural and artificial selection. Many landraces have disappeared from cultivation but are preserved in gene banks. Using modern selection and breeding technology tools to shape these preserved landraces together with the ones that are still cultivated is a further step in their evolution in order to preserve their agricultural significance. Adapting historical landraces to present agricultural conditions using cutting-edge breeding technology represents a challenging opportunity to use them in a modern sustainable agriculture, as an immediate return on the investment is highly unlikely. Consequently, we propose a more inclusive definition of landraces, namely that they consist of cultivated varieties that have evolved and may continue evolving, using conventional or modern breeding techniques, in traditional or new agricultural environments within a defined ecogeographical area and under the influence of the local human culture. This includes adaptation of landraces to new management systems and the unconscious or conscious selection made by farmers or breeders using available technology. In this respect, a mixed selection system might be established in which farmers and other social agents develop evolved landraces from the variability generated by public entities.

Tools for breeding 'calçots' (Allium cepa L.), an expanding crop

‘Calcots’, the floral stems of second-year onion resprouts of the ‘Ceba Blanca Tardana de Lleida’ landrace, have a growing market. Different constraints have prevented the inclusion of sensory attributes in ‘calcot’ breeding programs. Thus, we aimed to: (i) elaborate a sensory ideotype representing consumers’ preferences for ‘calcots’, (ii) design an easy protocol for preparing samples and training a sensory panel to evaluate them, and (iii) describe the sensory attributes of ‘calcots’ derived from the main Spanish landraces of onion to point out possible strategies for breeding for sensory quality. A selected group of consumers determined that the sensory ideotype of ‘calcots’ should have high sweetness, low fiber perception, and no off flavors. Samples of 50 ‘calcots’ from a single accession, roasted in the oven at 270°C for 18 min, stripped of their two external leaves, cut off at a height of 20 cm, and pureed, proved adequate for sensory panel evaluation even after being frozen and defrosted. A panel was trained until it was good at distinguishing between accessions (when neither the panelist effect nor the interaction panelist × accession was significant). This trained panel found many significant differences in sensory traits among the ‘calcots’ from Spanish landraces of onion. Although, none of these landraces was as close to the ideotype as the ‘Ceba Blanca Tardana de Lleida’ landrace traditionally used for ‘calcots’, crosses with some of these varieties would probably lead to heterotic base populations for breeding. The genotypic correlations found suggested that agromorphologic and sensory advances are compatible, so the information given should promote the inclusion of sensory quality as a new breeding objective. Key words : Ideotype, ‘Calcot’, onion, sensory attributes, genetic variability, sample preparation, spanish landraces, panel training.

Using Trendsetting Chefs to Design New Culinary Preparations with the “Penjar” Tomato

New food products are normally marketed after research regarding consumers’ preferences. As an alternative, we used trendsetting chefs to develop and evaluate products with the traditional, long shelf life, “Penjar” tomato (alc gene). The most appreciated creations were Catalan bread with tomato, tomato sauce, and tomato jam, excelling by its flavor complexity and balance. The description of the products by a trained panel revealed significant differences between varieties (especially between the food products elaborated with the “Penjar” type and conventional tomatoes). However, it was not easy to match the chefs’ assessments about sensory properties with the panel descriptions.

Sensory changes related to breeding for plant architecture and resistance to viruses and anthracnose in bean market class Fabada (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Consumers hold landraces in high esteem and often consider that breeding programs lead to a loss of sensory quality, although consumers’ opinions have not been scientifically confirmed. As a model case of study we recorded seed sensory traits in six inbred common bean lines classified in the market class Fabada obtained by backcrossing and/or pedigree selection (to change the plant architecture and increase resistances) and then cultivated in two environments in two consecutive years. A sensory panel noted differences among all the inbreds, but only the introduction of the gene fin (determinate growth habit) seemed to be associated to a loss of quality (rougher seed coat and lower percentage of whole beans after cooking). As theoretically expected, changes in sensory traits were smaller in inbreds obtained through simple backcrossing than in those obtained through pedigree selection after inbred crossing. Large differences in sensory traits due to environmental factors were also recorded (similar to the genetic effects in magnitude), especially soil type and rainfall around flowering. These results make it highly recommendable to evaluate sensory attributes in the course of breeding programs to ensure that the sensory quality is not lost. Given the importance of the environmental component in the phenotypic variation of the sensory traits studied, crop location and management also appear as key factors for the obtainment of optimum products.

A Comparison of Landraces vs. Modern Varieties of Lettuce in Organic Farming During the Winter in the Mediterranean Area: An Approach Considering the Viewpoints of Breeders, Consumers, and Farmers

The interest of farmers in growing lettuce landraces is increasing, as landrace varieties prove particularly appealing to consumers striving to purchase natural, local, and high-quality produce. Although high genetic diversity exists in the landrace gene pool, this has scarcely been studied, thus hindering landrace utilization in agriculture. In this study, we analyzed the genetic diversity and the agronomic and quality traits of lettuce landraces in organic agrosystems, by characterizing 16 landraces and 16 modern varieties. We compared 29 morphological descriptors, and several traits relating to agronomic behavior (total and commercial weight, resistance to Bremia lactucae) and quality (color, chlorophyll, dry matter, and total sugars). Trials were conducted in two localities and managed following organic farming practices. Moreover, farmers and consumers participated in the phenotyping of accessions by scoring yield, resistance to B. lactucae, appearance, and taste acceptance. Results show that cultivar group, rather than the genetic origin (modern vs. landrace), is the major source of variation for all agronomic and quality traits. Batavia and Butterhead were highly homogeneous cultivar groups, while Cos accessions showed a much higher intra-varietal diversity. There was also a clear separation between modern and landrace varieties of Oak leaf. Fifteen out of the 16 evaluated landraces presented a high susceptibility to the particular B. lactucae race isolated from the experimental field - a new race not reported before. Breeding programs intended to introgress genetic resistance to this pathogen are a major priority to recover the cultivation of lettuce landraces. Principal component analysis (PCA), conducted on all quantitative data, showed a clear differentiation between modern varieties and landraces, mostly related to their commercial weight and susceptibility to B. lactucae. These seem the most important traits influencing farmer and consumer evaluations. Farmers showed a high capacity for characterizing the samples and agreed with consumers when scoring for the external appearance. It is proposed that farmers and consumers should be included in the phenotyping platforms in future research projects aiming for recovery of landraces.

Improving the Commercial Value of the ‘Calçot’ (Allium cepa L.) Landrace: Influence of Genetic and Environmental Factors in Chemical Composition and Sensory Attributes

Landraces are considered valuable for their close ties to local cultures, adaptation to low inputs, and quality. ‘Calçots’ are the immature floral stems of second-year sprouts of onions from the ‘Blanca Tardana de Lleida’ landrace. ‘Calçots’ grown in their traditional area of cultivation have been awarded Protected Geographic Indication (PGI) ‘Calçot de Valls’ from the European Union. Despite annual sales of about €15 million, ‘calçot’ germplasm and cultivation methods are under-researched. This study aimed to estimate the influence of genetic and environmental factors in the chemical and sensory characteristics of ‘calçots’ to enable strategies to improve their commercial value to be devised. To this end, we tested the landrace and three new, more productive varieties derived from the landrace in experiments conducted over two seasons in six locations (within and outside the PGI zone), using two planting dates and two harvesting times. The results point to a major environmental influence in the quality of ‘calçots.’ The analysis of variance found all factors related with environmental influence were significant in most chemical traits considered (dry matter content, soluble solids content, pH, titratable acidity, and ash content), while the variety factor was significant only for titratable acidity. In sensory analyses, the variety factor and all the environmental factors had significant effects in all sensory traits recorded (sweetness, fiber perception, and off-flavors). In both chemical and sensory traits, most significant interactions involved the environmental factors. The negative correlation found between sweetness and fiber perception and off-flavors suggests that additional selection can bring ‘calçots’ closer to the sensory ideotype. Although clearly more productive, the new ‘calçot’ varieties maintain the chemical composition and sensory value of the landrace. Thus, fine-tuning the cultivation and/or breeding of the landrace for both yield and quality seem viable approaches to obtaining better commercial products.