Crop wild relatives are fundamental genetic resources for crop improvement. Wheat wild relatives often produce heteromorphic seeds that differ in morphological and physiological traits. Several Aegilops and Triticum species possess, within the same spikelet, a dimorphic seed pair, with one seed being larger than the other. A comprehensive analysis is needed to understand which traits are involved in seed dimorphism and if these aspects of variation in dimorphic pairs are functionally related. To this end, dispersal units of Triticum urartu and five Aegilops species were X‐rayed and the different seed morphs weighed. Germination tests were carried out on seeds, both dehulled and left in their dispersal units. Controlled ageing tests were performed to detect differences in seed longevity among seed morphs, and the antioxidant profile was assessed in terms of antioxidant compounds equipment and expression of selected antioxidant genes. We used PCA to group seed morphs sharing similar patterns of germination traits, longevity estimates and antioxidant profile. Different seed morphs differed significantly in terms of mass, final germination, germination timing, longevity estimates and antioxidant profile in most of the tested species. Small seeds germinated slower, had lower germination when left in their dispersal units, a higher antioxidant potential and were longer‐lived than large seeds. The antioxidant gene expression varied between morphs, with different patterns across species but not clearly reflecting the phenotypic observations. The results highlight different trait trade‐offs in dimorphic seeds of Aegilops and T. urartu, affecting their germination phenology and longevity, thereby resulting in recruitment niche differentiation.
Removal of gossypol from cottonseed meal and fermentable sugars from soybean meal by butanol-HCl solution was tested. Acidic butanol treatment yields low gossypol cottonseed protein concentrates and low oligosaccharides soy protein concentrates, respectively. This procedure does not appreciably alter proteins, as it is shown by the comparison of electrophoretic patterns of albumins and globulins extracted from meal and corresponding protein concentrates.
Background: Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.) is a perennial herb or subshrub belonging to the Asteraceae family. It is widely used in culinary recipes from several areas of the world for its aromatic properties. This study analyses the traditional use and the cultivation of this crop in the village of Sappada/Plodn, a German linguistic island in north-eastern Italy. Here, the species, vernacularly known as pèrschtròmm, is employed to flavour a sour soft cheese, called saurnshotte. Methods: This paper verifies the taxonomic identity of pèrschtròmm and studies its traditional use in Sappada/Plodn. The gathered information concerned tarragon propagation, cultivation, plant material processing and preparation of saurnshotte. The survey is based on ethnobotanical interviews integrated with literature research.Results: Tarragon is still cultivated by a dozen inhabitants, but its use on domestic scale for cheese production is almost disappeared. Nevertheless, the recent revival of this tradition is bringing the production of saurnshotte from a domestic scale to a commercial one finding a place in the Sappada economy that is mostly touristic based. Discussion: tarragon is not a common ingredient in northern Italy culinary tradition and It is interesting to note that the cultivation of this crop is limited to Sappada/Plodn, not occurring in neighbouring villages. This fact supports the connection between Sappada/Plodn with Tyrolean and Carinthian regions, where the village inhabitants are supposed to come from. Conclusions:The survey verified the taxonomic identity of pèrschtròmm as tarragon, sustaining the identification with herbarium vouchers. The current cultivation and processing of tarragon for saurnshotte production is still a cultural heritage of the linguistic island, even if threatened by the low number of holders of folk knowledge and the commercialization of new tarragon-based products designed ad hoc for tourists' consumption.
Northern Italy is an area particularly suitable for the cultivation of different crops. It used to be characterized by a high agrobiodiversity. However, it is estimated that over the last decades, this area experienced a genetic erosion of more than 90%, resulting in the loss of many traditional plant genetic resources (PGR). Nevertheless, recent surveys found an unexpectedly high agrobiodiversity which remains. The presented study aims to provide a complete overview of plant agrobiodiversity (in terms of crop landraces, old cultivars and neglected crops) in northern Italy using a mixed approach of literature research and ethnobotanical field surveys. In addition, this paper aims to investigate on farm and ex situ conservation activities performed in the study area. 810 entities were found, of which 26 were identified as neglected crops, 377 as landraces (plus 124 doubtful landraces) and 99 as old cultivars (plus 184 doubtful old cultivars). 248 entities were here recorded for the first time through field surveys. It clearly emerges that by using an ethnobotanical approach, several PGR can still be found in the study area especially in small farms and home gardens. We describe hotspots of crop diversity and areas in which there is still a lack of knowledge of local agrobiodiversity. Only 43% of the PGR recorded are conserved long-term in seed banks, underlying the fact that great efforts are needed to ensure the ex situ conservation of PGR in northern Italy. Careful interventions are needed to enhance the on-farm conservation status of the crop diversity reported here by enhancing its demand and its accessibility.
The sword lily Gladiolus palustris Gaudin is protected on European level and listed in Annexes II and IV of the EC Habitat Directive 92/43/EEC. It grows in nutrient-poor, calcareous meadows in central and eastern Europe. Tree encroachment in montane meadows of the European Alps as a result of recent land use changes and the abandonment of traditional farming practices threaten the survival of this species. Conservation-driven mowing is considered a feasible conservation measure for maintaining high species diversity in abandoned semi-natural grasslands. To assess the effects of ten years of biennial mowing on a grassland community in the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park, Italy (Site of Community Importance, Natura 2000 network), ten 25 m2 plots were established whereby four plots were placed in the mowed area, four in the non-mowed area and two in a small non-mowed patch of grassland inside the mowed area. In each plot the following variables were recorded, total percentage of plant cover, percentage cover of woody species, percentage cover of herbaceous species, percentage cover and number of flowering ramets of G. palustris and a complete list of species and their percentage abundance. Mowed plots showed a higher species richness than non-mowed plots. The number of G. palustris flowering ramets and percentage cover increased manifold in mowed plots compared to non-mowed plots. The resumption of mowing for conservation purposes undertaken by the managing authority halted the process of tree encroachment and avoided a drastic change in plant composition. Periodic mowing (every second or third year) was demonstrated to be a cost-effective conservation measure in non-productive grasslands to keep grasses at bay in favour of forbs of high conversation value.
Rice blast, caused by Pyricularia oryzae, is one of the main rice diseases worldwide. The pyramiding of blast-resistance (Pi) genes, coupled to Marker-Assisted BackCrossing (MABC), provides broad-spectrum and potentially durable resistance while limiting the donor genome in the background of an elite cultivar. In this work, MABC coupled to foreground and background selections based on KASP marker assays has been applied to introgress four Pi genes (Piz, Pib, Pita, and Pik) in a renowned japonica Italian rice variety, highly susceptible to blast. Molecular analyses on the backcross (BC) lines highlighted the presence of an additional blast-resistance gene, the Pita-linked Pita2/Ptr gene, therefore increasing the number of blast-resistance introgressed genes to five. The recurrent genome was recovered up to 95.65%. Several lines carrying four (including Pita2) Pi genes with high recovery percentage levels were also obtained. Phenotypic evaluations confirmed the effectiveness of the pyramided lines against multivirulent strains, which also had broad patterns of resistance in comparison to those expected based on the pyramided Pi genes. The developed blast-resistant japonica lines represent useful donors of multiple blast-resistance genes for future rice-breeding programs related to the japonica group.
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