Microsatellite and morphological characterization of three Rostrato di Val Chiavenna (Sondrio, Italy) maize (Zea mays L.) accessions

Stagnati, Lorenzo; Martino, Michelangelo; Soffritti, Giovanna; Lanubile, Alessandra; Ravasio, Adriano; Marocco, Adriano; Rossi, Graziano; Busconi, Matteo

doi:10.1007/s10722-021-01213-5

Cited by 8 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…It cannot be excluded that some alleles went lost during that time. Similar studies on maize landraces report both high levels of polymorphism at collection/locus as well as the presence of monomorphic loci in some landraces [ 3 , 21 , 22 , 24 , 25 , 26 ] as a possible consequence of selection for some interesting character particularly appreciated by local growers.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 56%

“…The landrace collection here investigated is characterized by accessions of flint/flint-like kernels, whose color varies from yellow to red with the exception of Châtillon, which is the only accession with dark-red ears, a character not common in landraces sampled in 1954 [ 27 ] but very often present in landraces of recent collection [ 3 , 18 , 19 , 25 , 26 ]. Vegetative cycles are variable, the earlier landrace is Entrebin, which is the one maintained at the highest altitude, while the others are grown on the valley floor where temperatures are higher allowing longer cycles; probably the windy climate of Aosta Valley helps the good drying even of later landraces, such as Arnad-Crest.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For maize landraces, it is reported that farmers perform directional selection based on a limited number of traits, which often are kernel type, color or particular ear shape. This directional selection causes a clear separation of landraces at the morphological level, even if there is an extensive gene flow between landraces [ 3 , 25 , 26 , 32 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Genetic characterization of crop landraces, particularly maize, is performed by means of molecular markers; among the many that are currently available, the two most used are Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and Simple Sequence Repeats or Microsatellites (SSRs). In maize, SSRs have been used to investigate the genetic biodiversity and structure of many germplasm collections constituted from few to hundreds of accessions [ 3 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characterization and Valorization of Maize Landraces from Aosta Valley

Lezzi,

Stagnati,

Madormo

et al. 2023

Plants

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While there is a rich collection of maize germplasm from Italy, it lacks genetic resources from the Aosta Valley, an isolated mountain region where landraces have been preserved in the absence of modern germplasm introductions. These local materials, which are still cultivated mainly at household level, can have high importance from a genetic and historical point of view. In the present study, five landraces named, after the collecting sites, Arnad, Arnad-Crest, Châtillon, Entrebin and Perloz, were sampled in Aosta Valley and subjected to historic, morphologic and genetic characterization. This study provided evidence for the landraces’ long presence in Aosta Valley, a significant genetic variability and differentiation among the investigated landraces. Globally, 67 different alleles were detected ranging from 4 for markers phi127 and p-bnlg176 to 10 for phi031, with a mean of 6.7 alleles per locus. Observed heterozygosity levels were comprised from 0.16 to 0.51 and are generalkly lower than expected heterozigosity supporting fixation at some loci. STRUCTURE analysis revealed clear separation between accessions revealing the presence of four ancestral populations. This may be explained by the long reproductive isolation experienced by these materials. Finally, morphological observations confirm the high diversity between landraces revealing that they generally have flint kernels, variable color from yellow to dark red (Châtillon) while Perloz showed kernels with an apical beak. The present work confirms the importance of mountain areas in conserving biodiversity and increases the rich Italian maize germplasm with materials well adapted to marginal areas. Such new genetic variability may be used to breed new materials for more resilient agriculture.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 56%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characterization and Valorization of Maize Landraces from Aosta Valley

Lezzi,

Stagnati,

Madormo

et al. 2023

Plants

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“…Pointed maize, also known as beaked maize, represent a peculiarity in maize cultivation. In northern Italy, 28 pointed varieties have been surveyed, but a specific characterization has only been reported for very few of these [21,53,54].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Ancient Varieties of Mountain Maize: The Inheritance of the Pointed Character and Its Effect on the Natural Drying Process

et al. 2021

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The introduction of mechanized agricultural practices after the Second World War and the use of productive hybrids led to a gradual disappearance of local maize varieties. However, 13 landraces are still cultivated in North-Western Italy, in the Lombardy region; those that are cultivated in mountainous areas (roughly up to 1200 m in altitude) are often characterized by the pointed shape of their seeds (i.e., “Nero Spinoso”, “Rostrato Rosso di Rovetta”, “Spinato di Gandino” and “Scagliolo di Carenno”) and the presence of pigments (i.e., “Nero Spinoso”, “Rostrato Rosso di Rovetta”). The pointed shape of the seeds is an ancient characteristic of maize-ancestors, which negatively affects the yield by not allowing optimal “filling” of the ear. This study reports work on four different Italian varieties of pointed maize in order to assess the genetic bases of the “pointed character” and to try to explain the reasons for this adaptation to the mountain environment. The data obtained by genetic analysis, seed air-drying modeling and thermographic camera observations demonstrated that the “pointed trait” is controlled by the same genes across the different varieties studied and suggested that this peculiar shape has been selected in mountainous areas because it promotes faster drying of the seed, with the presence of pigments implementing this effect.

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An updated checklist of plant agrobiodiversity of northern Italy

Canella¹,

Ardenghi

Müller

et al. 2022

Genet Resour Crop Evol

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Northern Italy is an area particularly suitable for the cultivation of different crops. It used to be characterized by a high agrobiodiversity. However, it is estimated that over the last decades, this area experienced a genetic erosion of more than 90%, resulting in the loss of many traditional plant genetic resources (PGR). Nevertheless, recent surveys found an unexpectedly high agrobiodiversity which remains. The presented study aims to provide a complete overview of plant agrobiodiversity (in terms of crop landraces, old cultivars and neglected crops) in northern Italy using a mixed approach of literature research and ethnobotanical field surveys. In addition, this paper aims to investigate on farm and ex situ conservation activities performed in the study area. 810 entities were found, of which 26 were identified as neglected crops, 377 as landraces (plus 124 doubtful landraces) and 99 as old cultivars (plus 184 doubtful old cultivars). 248 entities were here recorded for the first time through field surveys. It clearly emerges that by using an ethnobotanical approach, several PGR can still be found in the study area especially in small farms and home gardens. We describe hotspots of crop diversity and areas in which there is still a lack of knowledge of local agrobiodiversity. Only 43% of the PGR recorded are conserved long-term in seed banks, underlying the fact that great efforts are needed to ensure the ex situ conservation of PGR in northern Italy. Careful interventions are needed to enhance the on-farm conservation status of the crop diversity reported here by enhancing its demand and its accessibility.

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Microsatellite and morphological characterization of three Rostrato di Val Chiavenna (Sondrio, Italy) maize (Zea mays L.) accessions

Cited by 8 publications

References 23 publications

Characterization and Valorization of Maize Landraces from Aosta Valley

Characterization and Valorization of Maize Landraces from Aosta Valley

The Ancient Varieties of Mountain Maize: The Inheritance of the Pointed Character and Its Effect on the Natural Drying Process

An updated checklist of plant agrobiodiversity of northern Italy

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