Development of a Non-Destructive Tool Based on E-Eye and Agro-Morphological Descriptors for the Characterization and Classification of Different Brassicaceae Landraces

Abstract

In recent years, Brassicaceae have piqued the interest of researchers due to their extremely rich chemical composition, particularly the abundance of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, as well as because of their antimutagenic and potential anticarcinogenic activity. Vegetables in this family can be found practically everywhere on the planet. In Italy, numerous varieties of Brassicaceae, as well as a diverse pool of local variants, are regularly cultivated. These landraces, which have a variety of peculiar features, have recently sparked increased interest, and the need to safeguard them to preserve genetic biodiversity has become a relevant topic. In the present study, eight distinct Brassicaceae folk varieties were studied using non-destructive tools (Multivariate Image analysis and agro-morphological descriptors). Eventually, the data were handled using explorative analysis (EA) and Soft Independent Modeling by Class Analogy (SIMCA). EA pointed out similarities/dissimilarities among the diverse investigated populations. SIMCA led to high sensitivity (>70%) in prediction (on the external test set) for seven (over eight) investigated classes. Although the investigated plants belong to different landraces, they bear strong similarities. This is mainly linked to the ability of Brassicaceae to hybridize. Despite this, the combination of colorgrams and SIMCA allowed for classifying samples with excellent accuracy.

Combined cytogenetic and molecular methods for taxonomic verification and description of Brassica populations deriving from different origins

“…For Mugnoli belonging to the same group as broccoli (subsp. italica), Biancolillo et al (2023) developed a non-destructive tool based on Multivariate Image analysis and agro-morphological descriptors for the characterization and authentication of these local varieties. For B. rapa, landraces selected by farmers are mainly turnips, with the exception of five populations of Broccoletto.…”

Warnings/Cautions when collecting Brassica diversity along a large climatic gradient

“…For Mugnoli belonging to the same group as broccoli (subsp. italica), Biancolillo et al (2023) developed a nondestructive tool based on Multivariate Image analysis and agro-morphological descriptors for the characterization and authentication of these local varieties. For B. rapa, landraces selected by farmers are mainly turnips, with the exception of five populations of Broccoletto.…”

Non-Destructive Characterization of Italian Local Brassicaceae Cultivars Using ATR-FT-IR and Chemometrics

“…Growing plant species in the same experimental field allows the appreciation of different characteristics among the considered varieties without the influence of climate and soil. The cultivated and analyzed Brassicaceae varieties, along with their respective class designations, were as follows: Mugnoli broccoli A designated as "Class A", Mugnoli broccoli B designated as "Class B", Mugnoli broccoli C identified as "Class C", Guardiagrele turnip designated as "Class D", curly kale from Lama dei Peligni labeled as "Class E", Rapa senza testa designated as "Class Γ", Cima dell'Osento labeled as "Class F", Cima 90° San Marzano identified as "Class G", and finally Cima Grande designated as "Class H" [19]. The conservation activity of the different Mugnoli accessions concerns the cultivation and multiplication of seeds (not commercially available) by local growers who retain the accessions by passing them from one cultivation to another each year, contributing to the preservation of this local variety.…”

“…Other common Abruzzo cultivars are: Guardiagrele turnip, curly kale from Lama dei Peligni, "Rapa senza testa", "Cima dell'Osento". These species cultivated in Abruzzo are the subject of our study, which is based on the characterization and classification of these local varieties to protect and enhance their value [19]. The Guardiagrele turnip is a variety of Brassica napus cultivated in the town of Guardiagrele (Abruzzo, Central Italy), from which it takes its name.…”