An integrated model to accelerate the development of seed-propagated varieties of globe artichoke

Abstract

Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) is a cross-pollinated, highly heterozygous species, which is conventionally propagated vegetatively. A scheme is described here which combines phenotypic with genotypic selection to fast track the development of a seed-propagated variety. The scheme was tested by making three selections, on a phenotypic basis, from a Brazilian seed-propagated variety showing an high phenotypic variation. The genetic relatedness as well as the heterozygosity of the material in study, in respect to standard variety representatives, was initially assessed with a wide set of microsatellite markers. Afterwards, an AFLP-based selection demonstrated to provide a practical and cheap means of conducting marker assisted breeding, which can be easily adopted also in laboratories of small seed companies. The selection approach described here could be readily adopted also to convert current vegetatively propagated landraces into seed-propagated varieties.

Insect pollinators improve seed production in globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus)

“…In caged plants, the number of seeds both per plant and head, as well as the 1,000 seed weight, were almost always greater than in Op, with exceptions of NP4 under honeybee pollination and VS under Bp. These results are in agreement with Mauromicale et al (), who reported an increase of 30% of the number of seeds produced by caged globe artichoke plants under bumblebee pollination with respect to open field plants. In the current study, when subjected to open pollination in free environments, the heads of globe artichoke were visited by seven Hymenoptera ( B. terrestris , B. hortorum , Halictus scabiosae Rossi, Xylocopa violacea L., Scolia flavifrons Fabricius, A. mellifera and Halictidae sp.…”

“…For both cultivars, this value declined over the two seasons (−31.1% for VS and −8.8% for NP4, respectively, on the average of the pollination treatment). Mauromicale et al () reported a similar trend for the same plant species. Overall, similar to number and weight per plant and head and 1,000 seed weight, in VS the FSI was higher under A. mellifera pollination than Bp; in NP4, on the contrary, Bp induced the highest value.…”

“…Each plot included homogeneous plants for head number, in order to make the observations statistically comparable. Given the high mean level of heterozygosity (~60%) of VS, its degree of self‐fertilisation is quite low; on the contrary, NP4 has a high self‐fertilisation degree (~20% of heterozygosity) (Mauromicale et al, ). The pollination study was carried out during the flowering period of the two cultivars, from mid‐May to late June, with healthy bees from commercial channels and from the experimental apiary of University of Catania (Di3A).…”

“…In Europe, globe artichoke commercial production is largely based on the cultivation of vegetative propagated clones by means of basal and lateral offshoots originating from underground buds, either semidormant or actively growing. However, genotypes vegetatively propagated present several disadvantages such as susceptibility to pathogen (mainly viruses) transmission, physiological heterogeneity of the propagative material, low rate of multiplication and poor flexibility in transplant schedule, high planting costs and high percentage of planting failures (Mauromicale et al, ). Micropropagated artichokes have overcome some of these issues, especially for the production of pathogen‐free planting materials and polyphenols for industrial applications (El Boullani, Elmoslih, El Finti, El Mousadik, & Serghini, ; Pandino, Lombardo, Lo Monaco, Ruta, & Mauromicale, ; Scavo, Pandino, et al, ; Scavo, Rial, et al, ).…”

Learning from the Past in the Transition to Open-Pollinated Varieties

“…India's government is actively promoting new homegrown cotton varieties, and thousands of cotton farmers have switched to new local varieties [17]. Open-pollinated varieties are also being used in Italy to preserve the globe artichoke, which is threatened by hybrids [58].…”