Search results for " genetic resources"

Identification of (In)Compatible S-genotypes and Molecular Characterisation of Italian Sweet Cherry Cultivars.

2017

Italy is the first sweet cherry producer in Europe. Its rich germplasm of local varieties has not been fully characterised or exploited in breeding programmes. Sweet cherry is a self-incompatible species; this trait is controlled by a gametophytically expressed multi-allelic (S) locus. The knowledge of sweet cherry S-alleles and cross-incompatibility groups is important for growers and breeders for choosing appropriate pollinators in the orchard and planning crosses. In this work, we analysed 94 sweet cherry cultivars native of large part of the Italian regions where cherry is grown. The microsatellite primer pair set and the reference cultivars agreed for cherry by the Prunus Working Group…

A study of thyme germplasm in Sicily

2009

hyme is characteristic of the Mediterranean and is of interest for its multifunctional nature. It is widely used in seasoning and flavouring, in herbal products and cosmetics. The versatility of this species means it is also useful in the protection of areas prone to erosion or an ornamental plant when designing low-maintenance gardens. Thyme germplasm constitutes a large part of the wild flora in Sicily and is a potentially useful source of genetic variability. On the basis of this, in the two-year period from 2004-2005, research was carried out on wild thyme accessions. These were used to evaluate both its productivity and individual biotypes with the functional characteristics most sough…

TWO YEARS OF STUDIES INTO NATIVE BERMUDAGRASS (CYNODON SPP.) GERMPLASM FROM SICILY (ITALY) FOR THE CONSTITUTION OF TURF CULTIVARS

2008

Bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) is the most widely used warm season turf species in the world for sport, lawn and utility turfs. The species is widespread in Sicily (Italy) where it exhibits a large range of diverse morphological characteristics due to a long process of adaptation to varying climatic and soil conditions of the island. In order to exploit the bermudagrass genetic resources and establish a germplasm bank for use in various plant breeding programmes, bio-agronomic evaluation tests were carried out on the 40 Sicilian biotypes of Cynodon spp. from 2002 to 2004 at the experimental farm “Orleans”, University of Palermo. The accessions were compared to the standard cultivar ‘Savannah’,…

The Sicilian peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) germplasm: Evaluation of genetic diversity using SSRs

2006

The decrease in worldwide consumption of peaches due to the poor flavour quality of the fruit has increased the demand for new tasty cultivars. The availability of plant genetic resources is an important prerequisite for improving fruit quality by breeding. In Sicily there is a large collection of local cultivated peaches, whose production fills a niche in the local markets, but which is at risk of disappearing. Their characteristics include highly aromatic fruit and late ripening. Because of their important agronomic characteristics, the Department of Colture Arboree of Palermo University has collected the most interesting accessions to safeguard them and to use the indigenous resources in…

PRODUCTIVE, COMMERCIAL AND QUALITATIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF SICILIAN LANDRACE TOMATO.

2012

This paper shows the results obtained in 2007 of a study carried out at the Sparacia experimental farm (Cammarata AG, 37°37’N, 13°42’E) aimed at identifying and evaluating 26 populations of “long-life tomato” collected from the Province of Palermo, Agrigento and Trapani. The farm, which belongs to the Sicilian Agricultural Development Agency (E.S.A), is located in a sub-arid area with average rainfall levels of approx. 500 mm and average min/max temperatures of 9 and 21°C. The soil is characterised by level land, deep soil with sandy clay texture and subalkaline soil pH classified as Eutric Vertisols, WRB (FAO-ISRIC-ISSS, 1998). The planting tomato crop was carried out according to traditio…

Genetic analysis of Citrus aurantium L. (Rutaceae) cultivars by ISSR molecular markers

2011

Eight cultivars of Citrus aurantium L., showing peculiar morphological traits of the fruits and leaves, were analyzed genetically. Inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) was chosen as molecular markers because they represent a highly efficient system for investigating variability at intraspecific level. The particular morphological traits were discussed, the genetic identity and distance matrix based on Nei index was calculated, and the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram was generated. A total of 53 clearly distinguished DNA bands were considered for the ISSR analysis of which 24 were polymorphic. A basic C. aurantium fingerprinting pattern was obtained. The I…

Estudio de la variabilidad genética de repoblaciones de Quercus ilex L. subsp. ballota (Desf.) Samp. in Bol. en Andalucìa

2005

An adequate management of the reproductive material for reforestation activities is fundamental in the conservation of forest genetic resources. In the present work the levels of genetic diversity and differentiation between artificial stands of Quercus ilex and the adjacent natural stands are assessed with nuclear microsatellites. Also, it was possible to analyse the natural population used as seed source for one of the reforestations studied. The levels of genetic differentiation between natural and artificial stands and the decrease of genetic diversity from the seed origin population to the reforestation are discussed in relation to the transference of seed among provenance regions and …

IMPORTANCE OF SICILIAN GENETIC RESOURCE

2014

Ploidy manipulation for genetic improvement in some Mediterranean fruit crops

2017

Plant breeding is focused on selection of new genotypes with improved traits. Conventional methods based on hybridization and those based on biotechnology (somatic hybridization, genetic transformation, ploidy manipulation, etc.) are used to create novel genetic variations. Biotechnology provides powerful tools for plant breeding, for instance, haploid technology allows achievement of homozygous lines from heterozygous parents in one step, which reduces significantly the time required by conventional methods. Concerning woody species, characterized by self-incompatibility, long juvenile period and high degree of heterozygosity, this technique is the only way to get homozygous lines. Haploid…

Moscato Cerletti, a rediscovered aromatic cultivar with oenological potential in warm and dry areas

2021

Baron Antonio Mendola was devoted to the study of grapevine, applying ampelography and dabbling in crosses between cultivars in order to select new ones, of which Moscato Cerletti, obtained in 1869, was the most interesting. Grillo, one of the most important white cultivars in Sicily, was ascertained to be an offspring of Catarratto Comune and Zibibbo, the same parents which Mendola claimed he used to obtain Moscato Cerletti. Thus the hypothesis of synonymy between Moscato Cerletti and Grillo or the same parentage for both sets of parents needs to be verified.In the present study, historical documents were consulted and genetic analyses and ampelographic, agronomic and qualitative character…