Pietro Perrino

Estimating genetic erosion in landraces — two case studies

SummaryThe results of collecting missions in Albania in 1941 and 1993 and in South Italy in 1950 and in the eighties allowed a comparison to be made of the material cultivated. The number of landraces still cultivated recently, as compared to their former number, was the basis for the estimation of genetic erosion. Genetic erosion (GE) was calculated as GE=100%-GI (Genetic integrity). Genetic erosion was found to be 72.4% in Albania and 72.8% in South Italy, respectively. These results prove the high degree of genetic erosion in landraces from different parts of the Mediterranean area. Apart from the economic conditions, several other factors are responsible for genetic erosion, among them breeding system, crop type (i.e., garden or field crop) and crop group (e.g., cereals, vegetables and pulses).The results show that in the areas investigated there are still landraces for in situ conservation. Ex situ conservation in genebanks proved to be a possibility. An integration process is necessary to prevent losses in crops which are difficult to propagate under ex situ conditions. The complementarity of both conservation methods is stressed.

Genetic variation in wild and cultivated artichoke revealed by RAPD markers.

Determination of intraspecific genetic diversity is an important first step for the utilization of genetic resources and canprovide useful information on crop evolution. A living collection of Italian and foreign artichoke varieties and ecotypes is maintained at the Germplasm Institute, Bari, Italy. A total of 32 accessions of cultivated (Cynara cardunculus L. var.scolymus (L.) Fiori), three of wild (Cynara cardunculus var.cardunculus L.) artichoke and two ofcultivated cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var.altilis L.) were analysed in order to studygenetic variation and relationships within the species, using RAPDmarkers. Cultivated accessions were selected according tomorphological variation and geographical distribution available inthe collection. Fifty arbitrary decamer primers were initially tested, 18 ofwhich showed from 3 to 10 unambiguously interpretable fragments. Anintra-accession analysis using 4 varieties and 8 polymorphicprimers revealed that no RAPD variation was detected amongindividuals. Jaccards similarity index (JSI) was comprisedamong 1 and 0.693 when all accessions were considered, on the otherhand, within the cultivated artichoke, JSI ranged between 1 and0.817. A UPGMA dendrogram based on the similarity matrix showed thatwild artichokes were clearly separated from cultivated accessions.Moreover, within cultivated artichokes, several groups could bedistinguished.

Collection of land-races of cultivated plants in South Italy 1981

SummaryIn continuation of collecting missions in the last four years a further mission has been carried out in South Italy jointly by staff members of the Istituto del Germoplasma, Bari, and the Zentralinstitut für Genetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, Gatersleben, in September 1984 for studying and collecting indigenous forms of cultivated plants and their wild relatives. 185 samples, mainly of cereals, vegetables and grain legumes have been collected. The material represents highly variable old land-races; this is especially true for wheat, oats, maize,Brassica spp., french beans and faba beans. In Sicily wildBrassica spp. have been collected and in some places introgression from wild into cultivatedBrassica races could be observed. The results of this mission increase our knowledge concerning the flora of cultivated plants of South Italy considerably and stress the necessity for continuing the exploration of plant genetic resources in this region.ZusammenfassungIn Fortführung von Sammelreisen der letzten vier Jahre wurde eine weitere Reise in Süditalien gemeinsam von Mitarbeitern des Istituto del Germoplasma, Bari, und des Zentralinstituts für Genetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, Gatersleben, im September 1984 unternommen, die dem Studium und der Sammlung indigener Formen von Kulturpflanzen und ihrer verwandten Wildsippen diente. 185 Proben, vor allem von Getreiden, Gemüsen und Körnerleguminosen, wurden gesammelt. Das Material besteht aus hochvariablen alten Landsorten, besonders von Weizen, Hafer, Mais, Kohlsippen, Gartenbohnen und Ackerbohnen. In Sizilien wurden Wildkohle gesammelt, und an einigen Stellen konnten Introgressionen von Wildin Kultursippen beobachtet werden. Die Ergebnisse dieser Sammelreise, die unsere Kenntnisse der Kulturpflanzenflora Süditaliens beträchtlich erweitern, unterstreichen die Notwendigkeit zur Fortführung der Exploration pflanzengenetischer Ressourcen dieses Gebietes.Краткое содержаниеВ течение последних четырёх лет в Южной Италии велись сборы и нзучение автохтонных форм культурных растений и их дикорастущих сородичей. Эта работа была продолжена и в 1984 г. совместно сотрудниками Института зародышевой плазмы в Бари и Центрального института генетики и культурных растений в Гатерслебене. Всего было собрано 185 образцов, главным образом, хлебных злаков, овощей и зерновых; бобовых; материал в целом составили сильно изменчивые старые сорта местных культур, как пшеницы, овсы, кукуруза, различные формы капусты, фасоль и конские бобы. В Сицилии была собрана и дикорастущая капуста, причём в некоторых местах наблюдалась интрогрессия от диких к культурным формам. Результаты этой экспедиции, значительно обогатившие наши сведения о культурной флоре Южной Италии, ещё раз подтверждают необходимость продолжения сборов растительных генетических ресусов этой области.

Variation of seed storage proteins in landraces of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) from Basilicata, Southern Italy

SummaryTwenty landraces of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) from Sarconi and Rotonda two locations of Basilicata, a Southern Italy region, were screened for variation in seed storage proteins (phaseolin and phytohemagglutinin) by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS/PAGE and IEF-SDS/PAGE). No variation of the main seed protein fractions was observed within each landrace. Phaseolin patterns type C and T were exhibited from the landraces; the type C resulted predominant with a frequency of 70%. Only the C type was observed for the landraces of Rotonda, T and C for those from Sarconi. Two variants were observed for the phytohemagglutinin by SDS-PAGE, one was common to eighteen landraces. However, these variants submitted to IEF-SDS/PAGE resulted similar to the type TG2described by Brown. The importance to safeguard these landraces is stressed by the observation that the more spread commercial cultivars of common bean growing in Southern-Italy had a T phaseolin pattern. A reduction of C type diffusion could produce the loss a typical trait of common bean in Mediterranean regions.

Contribution to the taxonomy ofVicia species belonging to the sectionFaba

SummaryVicia faba belongs to the sectionFaba. While the other species of the sectionV. narbonensis, V. johannis andV. bithynica cross enough well each other,V. faba seems to be strongly isolated from them. In addition the chromosome morphology ofV. faba differs from the other species of the section which among themselves are enough homogenous in this respect.To contribute to a wider knowledge on the taxonomical position ofV. faba in its section, electrophoretical and karyological analysis of 500 individuals belonging to 50 populations of different origin were carried out.The analyzed species were:V. faba, V. narbonensis, V. serratifolia, V. bithynica, V. galilaea andV. johannis.ZusammenfassungVicia faba gehört zur sect.Faba. Während andere Arten der Sektion (V. narbonensis, V. johannis undV. bithynica) untereinander relativ gut kreuzbar sind, istV. faba von ihnen deutlich isoliert. Darüberhinaus unterscheidet sichV. faba in der Morphologie seiner Chromosomen von den anderen Arten der Sektion, die in dieser Hinsicht eine relativ einheitliche Merkmalsausprägung zeigen. Um zu einer besseren Kenntnis der systematischen Stellung vonV. faba innerhalb der Sektion beizutragen, wurden chromatographische und karyologische Analysen von 500 Individuen aus 50 Populationen verschiedener Herkunft durchgeführt. Analysiert wurdenV. faba, V. narbonensis, V. serratifolia, V. bithynica, V. galilaea undV. johannis.Краткое содержаниеVicia faba относится к секцииFaba. В то время как другие виды секции (V. narbonensis, V. johannis, V. bithynica) относительно хорошо скрещиваются между собой,V. faba от них ч ëтко изолирована. Кро ме того,V. faba отличается морфолог ией своих хромосом от прочих видов секции, показыв ающих в этом отношении отно сительно единообраз ное выражение признаков. Чтобы лучш е выявить систематич еское положениеV. faba внутри секции, были проведен ы хроматографически е и кариологические ана лизы 500 индивидуумов из 50 поп уляций различного происхождения. Анали зировались:V. faba, V. narbonensis, V. serratifolia, V. bithynica, V. galilaea, V. johannis.

Genetic diversity and intra-specific phylogeny of Triticum turgidum L. subsp. dicoccon (Schrank) Thell. revealed by RFLPs and SSRs

Today, emmer wheat, T. turgidum subsp. dicoccon, widely grown in the past is a candidate crop for sustainable agriculture in Italy. As part of a research project aimed at the enhanced use of the hulled wheat germplasm, molecular characterization was carried out to understand the genetic structure of the crop and to identify accessions of interest. A collection of 194 accessions was analyzed with 15 microsatellite loci (SSRs), while only a sample of 38 accessions was tested with 19 RFLP probes. The marker loci were selected on the basis of their independent genomic distribution. Genetic distances and allelic frequencies were calculated for each marker class. The genetic relationships were visualized with dendrograms. RFLP loci were, on average, less polymorphic than SSRs. An average Dices genetic distance of 0.22 for RFLPs vs 0.38 for SSRs was detected, while an expected average heterozygosity per locus of 0.23 for RFLPs vs 0.26 for SSRs was also estimated. With a least number of 10 loci per marker class it was possible to identify each genotype. The most diverse accessions had different geographic origins. Germplasms from Italy and Ethiopia appear to belong to a more primitive genepool, given that a group of accessions from these countries were genetically differentiated from a Russian-Iranian group.

Yield and oil quality in selected lines of Crambe abyssinica Hochst. ex R.E. Fries and C. hispanica L. grown in Italy

Abstract Crambe is an innovative source of raw materials for several products usually derived from petroleum. In 1991–1992, two lines of Crambe abyssinica and C. hispanica previously selected from a germplasm collection, were tested at two different Italian locations. Four sowing times, three sowing densities, four inter-row spacings, two weeding techniques, three doses each for nitrogenous, phosphatic and potassic fertilisers, and three herbicides were investigated. Eleven biological traits were recorded and the influence of different agrotechniques on yield and seed chemical composition was evaluated. The best results were obtained with: autumn sowing time, a sowing density of 50 seeds/m 2 , Butisan herbicide, and 60, 60, 80 kg/ha of P 2 O 5 , K 2 O and N, respectively. Erucic acid content was about 54% in both species at both locations and was little affected by the different investigated techniques. Growing this crop in some zones of central and southern Italy could be agronomically profitable, also as a possible alternative to cereals.

Sicilian wheat varieties

SummaryA brief historical background explains why Sicilian wheat germplasm has to be preserved. A catalogue of 32 cultivars collected throughout Sicily in 1973 is presented. Each cultivar is geographically and botanically identified. The presence of variability is discussed for several spike characters. The material is available for distribution.ZusammenfassungVor dem historischen Hintergrund wird die Notwendigkeit der Erhaltung der sizilianischen Ressourcen des Weizens erklärt. Ein Katalog enthält 32 Sorten, die 1973 in ganz Sizilien gesammelt wurden. Jede Sorte wird geographisch und botanisch eingeordnet. Die Variabilität mehrerer Ährenmerkmale wird diskutiert. Das Saatgut kann an Interessenten abgegeben werden.Краткое содержаниеНа фоне историческог о развития объясняет ся необходимость сохра нения сицилианских ресурсов пшеницы. В со ставленном каталоге перечисляются 32 сорта, которые в 1973 г. были собр аны со всей территори и Сицилии. Для каждого сорта приводятся географи ческие и ботанически е данные. Обсуждается изменчи вость многих признаков кол оса. Заинтересованны е учреждения могут получить посев ной материал.

Variation of seed characters in selectedVicia species

SummaryThe variability of 19 seed characters has been examined for 52 species of the genusVicia. Seed circumference, relative hilum length, hilum shape and lens position could be confirmed as the most relevant characters for grouping. By cluster analyses based upon them the material has been classified into 11 groups. Discriminant analyses gave 25 % misclassifications when all 19 variables were subjected to the analysis for the determination of individual seeds. A key for determination of the species has been proposed mainly by means of quantitative seed characters; dendrograms illustrate the result of the cluster analyses and seed diagrams show schematically important seed characters.ZusammenfassungEs wurde die Variabilität von 19 Samenmerkmalen bei 52 Arten der GattungVicia geprüft. Für eine Gruppenbildung bestätigten sich dabei der Samenumfang, die relative Nabellänge, die Nabelform und die Lage der Chalaza als besonders geeignet. Bei einer auf diesen Merkmalen aufbauenden Cluster-Analyse konnten innerhalb des Untersuchungsmaterials 11 Artengruppen ausgeschieden werden. Diskriminanz-Analysen unter Verwendung von allen 19 Variablen ergaben eine Fehlklassifikation beim Versuch der Zuordnung einzelner Samen in 25 % der Fälle. Ein Schlüssel zum Bestimmen der Arten vorzugsweise an Hand von quantitativen Samenmerkmalen wurde vorgeschlagen. Dendrogramme illustrieren die Ergebnisse der Cluster-Analysen und schematische Samendiagramme die Ausprägung der relevanten Samenmerkmale.Краткое содержаниеИсследовалась изменчивость 19 признаков семян у 52 видов родаVicia. Для образования групп особенно пригодными оказались следующие признаки: величина семян, относительная длина рубчика, форма рубчика и положение халазы. Кластерный анализ, построенный на этих признаках, выявил у исследованного материала 11 групп видов. Дискриминантный анализ, при учёте всех 19 признаков дал неудачную классификацию для попытки отнесения отдельных семян к той или иной группе в 25 % случаев. Предлагается ключ для определения видов, преимущественно на основе количественных признаков семян. Дендрограммы иллюстририруют результаты кластерного анализа, а схематические диаграммы семян — выраженность их относительных признаков.

Carosello and the taxonomy ofCucumis melo L. especially of its vegetable races

SummaryCarosello, a local vegetable from South Italy, is used in the same way asCucumis sativus but, in fact, it is a vegetable race ofCucumis melo. In the light of this local vegetable race which is presumed to be a relic of a former, more wide-spread cultivation, the infraspecific taxonomy ofCucumis melo together with some aspects of the history of melon systematics are discussed.Carosello is taken as an example to demonstrate that in the course of domestication of several completely unrelated taxa special varieties had been selected for the consumption of unripe fruits which are unpalatable when ripe in the majority of the cultivars of these species.ZusammenfassungCarosello, eine lokale Gemüsesippe aus Süditalien, wird in der gleichen Weise wieCucumis sativus genutzt, ist aber eine Form vonCucumis melo. Im Lichte dieser lokalen Gemüsesippe, von der angenommen wird, daß sie das Relikt einer weiteren Verbreitung in früheren Zeiten ist, werden Fragen der infraspezifischen Taxonomie vonCucumis melo sowie Aspekte der historischen Entwicklung der Melonen-Systematik diskutiert.Carosello wird als Beispiel dafür herangezogen, daß im Verlaufe der Domestikation aus verschiedenen, nicht miteinander verwandten Taxa Sorten selektiert wurden, die im unreifen Zustand genutzt werden können, während sie zur Reife bei der Mehrheit der Sorten dieser Arten wenig schmackhaft oder sogar ungenießbar sind.Краткое содержаниеCarosello — местная форма овоща из Южной Италии, который используется таким же образом, как иCucumis sativus, но является некоторой формойCucumis melo. В свете этой местной овощной формы, о которой предполагается, что она является реликтом, широко распространëнным в более ранние времена, обсуждаются вопросы внутривидовой таксономииCucumis melo, а также аспекты исторического развития систематики дынных культур.Carosello служит примером того, как в ходе одомашивания он был селектирован из различных, не находящихся в родстве между собой таксонов, которые можно использовать уже в незрелом состоянии, в то время как большинство этих сортов в зрелом состоянии невкусны или даже несъедобны.