The Rediscovery of Traditional Maize Agrobiodiversity: A Study Case from Northern Italy
Lorenzo Stagnati (),
Giovanna Soffritti,
Francesca Desiderio,
Alessandra Lanubile,
Sara Zambianchi,
Adriano Marocco,
Graziano Rossi and
Matteo Busconi
Additional contact information
Lorenzo Stagnati: Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
Giovanna Soffritti: Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
Francesca Desiderio: Council for Agricultural Research and Economics-Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Via San Protaso 302, 29017 Fiorenzuola d’Arda, Italy
Alessandra Lanubile: Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
Sara Zambianchi: Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
Adriano Marocco: Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
Graziano Rossi: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Università di Pavia, Via S. Epifanio 14, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Matteo Busconi: Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-15
Abstract:
Nowadays, agriculture is under the pressure of climate change and new pathogen outbreaks while farmers are requiring breeders to develop more resistant and resilient genotypes. The genetic base for breeding may be increased through appropriate conservation, description and characterization of local varieties and germplasm collections that have never been used in breeding, and which could be sources of useful alleles. In this framework, the present paper focuses on eight maize landraces of the eastern part of Emilia-Romagna, derived from the Italian maize collection sampled in 1954. Landraces are characterized by a short cycle length and different kernel types—mainly flint-like or an intermediate type of yellow or yellow–orange color—while dent landraces are less represented. Pigmented and white corns are absent even though one landrace (Va213) showed the presence of scattered blue kernels on yellow ears. Ear shape is frequently conical, a trait associated with drought-resistance and common in Italian traditional landraces. Genetic characterization was carried out on 529 individuals by using 10 SSR markers. A total of 68 different alleles, ranging from 4 for markers ( phi084 and umc1401 ) to 11 ( phi031 ) and from 27 (Va217) to 50 (Va211), were evidenced at the individual and population level. AMOVA analysis revealed a small amount (19%) of variability between populations, as supported also by PCoA, with the only exception of Va217, which is different from the others, as evidenced also by phylogenetic analysis. Population structure analysis resulted in the identification of three and four population levels, which are consistent with previous results.
Keywords: Italian maize landraces; biodiversity; germplasm; SSR; genetic analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:12110-:d:924530
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