Germplasm Evaluation of Spontaneous Myrtle (<i>Myrtus communis</i>L.) for Cultivar Selection and Crop Development

Mulas, Maurizio; Cani, M.R.

doi:10.1300/j044v06n03_04

Cited by 33 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The descriptor list proposed by Mulas and Cani (1999) was used as a reference. A hierarchical cluster analysis based on Ward's method was run using XLSTAT 2007 software (Addinsoft, France).…”

Section: Morphological Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within the framework of the domestication process, previous studies were conducted on wild myrtle accessions in order to evaluate phenotypic variability (Mulas and Cani, 1999). Based on these studies a few crucial phenotypic traits, such as fruit shape and color, as well as the plant vigor, bush habitus, and the relationship between the spring shoot length and the flower/fruit quantity, were recognized as part of the ideal plant type suitable for myrtle cultivation.…”

Section: Chemical Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Morphological, chemical, and genetic diversity of wild myrtle(Myrtus communis L.) populations in Sicily

Melito¹,

Bella²,

Martinelli³

et al. 2016

Turk J Agric For

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Myrtus communis L. is a shrub widespread in the Mediterranean area. The interest in this species is growing, mainly due to its pharmacological and aromatic properties. The overexploitation of wild populations induced increasing degradation of plant cover with serious risk of loss of genetic diversity. This research explored the morphological, chemical, and genetic diversity of wild myrtle populations in Sicily, with the aim to provide a first characterization of a core collection of 36 accessions from 7 localities for future domestication programs. Amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting generated 152 polymorphic fragments. STRUCTURE analysis identified three genetic clusters (A, B, and C) corresponding to specific geographical origin. Analysis of molecular variance estimated a quite high overall fixation index (F ST = 0.332). Misilmeri and Ispica were the more divergent populations (F ST = 0.502), while M. Pellegrino and Scopello revealed the lowest F ST (0.153). The relationships between genetic, morphological, and biometric data were investigated. Significant correlation between genetic clusters and bush shape/plant growth behavior was found (P < 0.005). Moreover, morphological traits such as leaf, fruit, and seed size were significantly correlated to Clusters B and C. Leaves' secondary metabolite profiles were evaluated based on antioxidant activity and total tannin and phenol concentrations. High antioxidant activity differences were recorded using DPPH (21.4-35.5 mmol Trolox/100 g DW) and ABTS (24.2-39.5 mmol Trolox/100 g DW) methods. A low variability was observed among populations regarding phenol (2466-3800 mg catechin equivalents/100 g DW) and total tannin contents (93.9-262.3 mg catechin equivalents/100 g DW). Results indicated that multiple approaches based on genetic, morphological, and chemical traits might allow the characterization of natural myrtle diversity.

show abstract

Section: Morphological Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Chemical Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological, chemical, and genetic diversity of wild myrtle(Myrtus communis L.) populations in Sicily

Melito¹,

Bella²,

Martinelli³

et al. 2016

Turk J Agric For

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For these regions, myrtle represents a valuable and somewhat under-evaluated natural resource with potential in the food and foodflavouring industries. Several studies (Mulas and Cani 1999) have revealed a great biodiversity in morphological and phytochemical characteristics among wild populations of Sardinia and Calabria myrtle. This diversity constitutes not only a potential for agro-industrial exploitations, but it also represents an essential element to preserve ecosystem integrity and landscape richness in the South of Italy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, this production has led to large biomass removal which subjects wild populations of myrtle to a severe ecological risk (Mulas and Cani 1999), with consequences on the whole environment and flora of Sardinia. In Calabria, myrtle is not exploited for agro-industrial production as intensively as in Sardinia, but populations have been strongly reduced both in size and number by several negative factors such as property speculation and fires.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding biological conservation strategies: a molecular-genetic approach to the case of myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) in two Italian regions: Sardinia and Calabria

Agrimonti

Bianchi

et al. 2006

Conserv Genet

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.), a shrub widespread in the Mediterranean area, is the only species belonging to the Myrtaceae family growing in Europe. The pharmacological and aromatic properties of myrtle have caused a growing interest in this plant. The use of myrtle as an aromatic plant is traditionally established in the Italian regions of Sardinia and Calabria, where it is subjected to an ecological stress due to the large biomass removal for liquor production and environmental damage. The reduction in size and number of wild populations is often related to a loss of genetic variation and reproductive potential. In this study fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphisms (fAFLPs) were employed to assess the genetic variation within and among natural populations of myrtle from Sardinia and Calabria to gain new insights into their fitness and survival potential. AMOVA analysis indicated that genetic variation was greater within populations (51.86%) than among populations (16.99%), as previously reported for outcrossing species. A significant amount of variation (31.15%) was attributed to variation between Sardinia and Calabria population groups, suggesting a genotypic differentiation between the myrtle populations of these two regions. Intra-population genetic variation, assessed by estimating expected unbiased heterozygosity (H E ), ranged from 0.0595 to 0.2595. These values resulted correlated with population extension (r = 0.918; P < 0.01) and with two reproductive parameters: seed germinability (r = 0.793; P < 0.01) and number of seeds per fruit (r = 0.631; P < 0.05). A moderate gene flow among Sardinia myrtle populations and Calabria populations (1.2719 and 1.0478, respectively) counteracts the low level of genetic variation observed in some populations and avoids their differentiation and isolation.

show abstract

“…The natural genetic resources contain higher variability than the pool of cultivars selected and their evaluation may be useful to support and improve the breeding program of myrtle (Mulas and Cani, 1999). Microclimatic diversity of spreading areas of plant natural populations is a factor determining their genetic variability (Melito et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic diversity and population structure of wild Sardinian Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) genotypes from different microclimatic areas

Melito¹,

Dessena²,

Sale³

et al. 2017

Aust J Crop Sci

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The wild Sardinian Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) is an aromatic shrub widely spread in the Mediterranean region. Because of the large use of the plant in food and cosmetic industry, a domestication process started from the last decades. Today, the myrtle may be considered as an aromatic crop. In this artificial evolution, the genetic characterization of wild populations is essential to understand the bases of the phenotype variability useful for cultivar selection. The aim of the present study was to explore the genetic diversity and structure of wild myrtle populations within eco-geographical zone of Sardinia, where the specie is still widely abundant. Eighteen populations were sampled randomly by picking 20 individuals from every site. A total of 360 samples were analysed by AFLP markers, by which 150 polymorphic fragments were detected. In total, two well-differentiated genetic groups were identified. Agrometeorological and geographical variables influenced the distribution of the two clusters. A significant different partition of the two groups was observed from South West to North East direction. Moreover, altitude plays a significant role in the genetic distribution: one cluster is predominant at low altitude and the other at medium (P = 0.0014). AMOVA was performed to explore the effect of different environmental factors to the genetic variance. The highest FST value (0.44) was associated to the origin of the sampling site followed by the genetic partition at K = 2 (0.34). A map of myrtle genetic diversity as result of the collection site was described. These findings are relevant for planning collection for future domestication programs.

show abstract

Germplasm Evaluation of Spontaneous Myrtle (Myrtus communisL.) for Cultivar Selection and Crop Development

Cited by 33 publications

References 8 publications

Morphological, chemical, and genetic diversity of wild myrtle(Myrtus communis L.) populations in Sicily

Morphological, chemical, and genetic diversity of wild myrtle(Myrtus communis L.) populations in Sicily

Understanding biological conservation strategies: a molecular-genetic approach to the case of myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) in two Italian regions: Sardinia and Calabria

Genetic diversity and population structure of wild Sardinian Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) genotypes from different microclimatic areas

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About