Crop Wild Relatives (CWRs) Threatened and Endemic to Italy: Urgent Actions for Protection and Use

Abstract

An updated overview of the 29 threatened crop wild relatives (CWRs) endemic to Italy is presented, namely: Arrhenatherum elatius subsp. nebrodense, Barbarea rupicola, Brassica baldensis, Brassica glabrescens, Brassica macrocarpa, Brassica rupestris subsp. hispida, Brassica rupestris subsp. rupestris, Brassica tardarae, Brassicatrichocarpa, Brassica tyrrhena, Brassica villosa subsp. bivonana, Brassica villosa subsp. brevisiliqua, Brassica villosa subsp. drepanensis, Brassica villosa subsp. tineoi, Brassica villosa subsp. villosa, Daucus broteroi, Daucus carota subsp. rupestris, Daucus nebrodensis, Diplotaxis scaposa, Festuca centroapenninica, Lathyrus apenninus, Lathyrus odoratus, Malus crescimannoi, Phalaris arundinacea subsp. rotgesii, Vicia brulloi, Vicia consentina, Vicia giacominiana, Vicia ochroleuca subsp. ochroleuca, Vicia tenuifolia subsp. elegans. Data concerning geographical distribution, ecology (including plant communities and habitats of the Directive 92/43/EEC), genetics (chromosome number, breeding system, and/or the existence of gene pools), threat status at the national and international level (Red Lists), key plant properties, and in situ and ex situ conservation were analyzed and shown. At present, most of the listed endemic CWRs, 23 out of 29, have no gene pool at all, so they are CWRs only according to the taxon group and not according to the gene pool concept. In addition, there is a serious lack of data on the ex situ conservation in gene banks, with 16 species identified as high priority (HP) while 22 taxa have high priority (A) for in situ conservation. With the aim of their protection, conservation, and valorization, specific and urgent actions are recommended.

High Temperature Alters Anthocyanin Concentration and Composition in Grape Berries of Malbec, Merlot, and Pinot Noir in a Cultivar-Dependent Manner

“…Assuming that key environmental factors for grape berry and wine quality—such as temperature—are predicted to vary in the next decades due to climate change [ 27 ], it is important to examine the natural plasticity of different cultivars to the predicted thermal increase. Phenotypic plasticity (or adaptability), defined as the ability of an organism (wild and cultivated) to change its phenotype in response to different environments, can help mitigate negative effects due to environmental perturbations [ 28 , 29 ]. For Mendoza region, a 2–4 °C increase in the mean diurnal temperature during summer has been predicted for the end of this century [ 30 , 31 ].…”

Arabinogalactan Proteins: Focus on the Role in Cellulose Synthesis and Deposition during Plant Cell Wall Biogenesis

“…In the last decade, the identification of some AGPs lacking signal peptides in Arabidopsis, wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), and rice and some AGPs potentially lacking well-identified O -glycosylation sites in poplar ( Populus trichocarpa Torrey & A. Gray ex Hooker), Chinese cabbage, wheat, and rice through bioinformatics approaches is challenging our conventional concept to define an AGP [ 7 , 35 , 44 , 45 , 46 ], without excluding that there are several wild species, including crop wild relatives, of which we have no data, not only for AGPs, but even for their chemical composition [ 47 , 48 , 49 ].…”

Integrate Small RNA and Degradome Sequencing to Reveal Drought Memory Response in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

“…Starting from the crop wild relatives (CWR), including those belonging to the genus Aegilops, from which humans began to select the different species of wheat cultivated today [ 32 , 33 , 34 ], this study identified drought memory response miRNAs and their target genes in wheat by small RNA and degradome sequencing and further analyzed the biological functions of candidate miRNAs. Our results provide insight into wheat drought memory and its possible molecular mechanisms and would be of great significance in breeding new drought-resistant wheat varieties.…”