Effect of Vegetative Propagation Materials on Globe Artichoke Production in Semi-Arid Developing Countries: Agronomic, Marketable and Qualitative Traits

Abstract

Abstract:In Tunisia, globe artichoke is mainly propagated by underground dormant axillary buds (ovoli), which are removed from the field in August during the quiescence period. The high cost of in vitro-plants and the absence of specialized nurseries were among the reasons for the rise of heterogeneity and spread of diseases. The aim was to help farmers to improve artichoke yield and quality by ameliorating their vegetative propagation technique with low cost methods. Three plant cuttings management methods were tested: summer ovoli (T0); spring offshoots nursery's cuttings forced to pass a vegetative rest period by stopping irrigation (T1); and offshoots nursery's cuttings not forced (T2). The cuttings management can affect both yield and qualitative traits of artichoke. T1 nursery plants produced the heaviest primary heads, 7% and 23% higher than T2 and T0, respectively. T1 plants exhibited the highest yield during the harvest season, with +17.7% and +12.2% compared to T0 and T2, respectively. T0 and T1 showed the highest total antioxidant capacity and inulin content; the propagation method also affected the short-chain sugars ratio. T1 is a viable and sustainable alternative to the traditional one that does not heavily impact on growing costs and improves yield and quality of artichoke.

Application of modern agronomic and biotechnological strategies to valorise worldwide globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L.) potential - an analytical overview

“…(López et al, 2007). Riahi et al (2017) managed the vegetative propagation techniques to improve plant health state as well as yield parameters with low cost methods. Authors tested summer ovoli, spring offshoots nursery's cuttings forced to pass a vegetative rest period by stopping irrigation and offshoots nursery's cuttings not forced.…”

“…Owing to the new efficient in vitro protocols, micropropagated cultivars are now widely used in European countries, where the high cost of planting material has been compensated by improved field performance complying with the consumers requirements (Castiglione et al, 2009;Bedini et al, 2012;Tavazza et al, 2016;El Boullani et al, 2017). At the same time, this strategy is quite difficult to be implemented in developing countries because of the high costs, the lack of nurseries for the in vitro plant production or inadequate timing and techniques of production (Pandino et al, 2017b;Riahi et al, 2017).…”

Optimization of Offshoot Outgrowth in Globe Artichoke Using a Combination of Chemical and Mechanical Treatments

“…Most Tunisian farmers adopt the traditional vegetative propagation method for globe artichoke, mainly using stalks and ovoli (underground dormant buds). Despite its economic profitability, this method seems to be a big source of disease spread [5][6][7][8] due to the absence of phytosanitary and quality control of transplants. The production of vitro plants could be an important solution to decrease the risk of contaminated plants and it could virtually produce an unlimited number of identical plants from one plant [9][10][11].…”

“…However, micropropagation is an expensive technique and it is not developed in Tunisia. As a result, the improvement of the vegetative propagation techniques used in the field seems to be a potential strategy to overcome the problem of cutting quality in Tunisia [8].…”

“…According to a previous work, it was demonstrated that ovoli that originate from spring offshoots significantly improve agronomic, marketable, and qualitative traits of production [8]. Research has targeted the enlargement of cutting production using many techniques such as the application of exogenous cytokinine, the decapitation or the removal of epigeal part of the plant, and mychorhizes [12].…”