Investigation of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.)–Insect Pollinator Interactions Aiming to Increase Cowpea Yield and Define New Breeding Tools

Impact of pollination on the agri-food sector is of paramount importance. Pollinators contribute to the maintenance of ecosystems, the reproduction and survival of many plants, and their presence usually leads to increased yield and quality of agricultural products. Breeding and selecting for plant traits for enhancing pollinator visits could therefore lead to more resilient farming systems. In stating the advantages of enhancing pollinators in agricultural systems, this study was designed aiming to assess six cowpea accessions for their flower traits and their effect on insect-pollinators. Pollinators species abundance and foraging activity was recorded and their impact on yield was investigated. Twenty-five of the twenty-seven flower traits studied differed statistically significantly among cowpea accessions. The main pollinators recorded belonged to the genus Xylocopa (Latreille, 1802). Seed and fresh pod yield was not affected by pollinators. The floral traits related to pollinators abundance and foraging activity were flower color, inflorescence position and the hours that the flowers per plant remained open during the day. However, they were not related linearly to pollinators abundance and foraging activity; therefore, they did not constitute safe traits for selection aiming to increase pollinators visitation. The findings suggested that other traits, such as pollen and nectar reward, probably perform a more important role in attracting pollinators compared to flower traits

State and progress of Andean lupin cultivation in Europe: a review

ReviewLupinus mutabilis is an important source of protein in different Andean countries, and its use in diets, particularly those of less wealthy individuals, has been observed for thousands of years. There is an increasing demand for protein crops suitable for Europe and this species is a potential candidate. Assessment of Lupinus mutabilis genetic material in European conditions started more than 40 years ago, with the characterization of a vast number of accessions from the Andean region. In this review, abiotic and biotic constraints to L. mutabilis cultivation in European soil and climatic conditions are discussed, and cultivation management practices are suggested. The beneficial interaction of L. mutabilis with Bradyrhizobium strains in the soil and various pollinator species is also discussed, and the effect of abiotic stresses on these interactions is highlighted. Prospects of alternative uses of L. mutabilis biomass in Northern Europe and opportunities for breeding strategies are discussed. In conclusion, the different approach to crop modeling for Southern and Northern European climatic conditions is highlightedinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Andean Lupin Phenology and Agronomic Performance under Different Planting Dates in a Mediterranean Climate

Andean lupin in Europe has regained interest in recent years due to its high seed protein and oil content and its potential use for food, feed as well as a crop used in biorefineries. A search for suitable germplasm in combination with a determination of appropriate agronomical practices such as planting date are needed for commercial farming in new areas. The current study aims to evaluate the performance of six selected L. mutabilis accessions in a Mediterranean area using two different planting dates for two consecutive experimental years. A split plot design with accessions as subplots and planting dates as main plots was used. Measurements such as days to flowering, plant height, total number of pods and seeds per plant, seed yield and seed crude protein content were taken. All accessions performed better when cultivation started not later than the end of autumn since high temperatures occurred during late spring shortened the growth cycle and reduced yield. Earlier cultivation applied, in the middle of autumn, did not enhance significantly seed yield production. Among the accessions, LIB223 was characterized by the highest seed crude protein content in the early planting treatment, while accessions with prolonged growth cycle (LIB209, LIB214 and LIB223) produced higher seed yield than other accessions and could be further studied as promising breeding material for cultivation under the edaphoclimatic conditions tested

Characterization and variability assessment of populations of the species Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp

The purpose of this thesis was the characterization and evaluation of Vigna genetic material (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) originating from Southern European countries. With this aim, experimental fields were established in Attica, at the Agricultural University of Athens, where a detailed characterization of previously unexplored local populations from Portugal, Spain and Greece was carried out. The diversity maintained among and within each local population was also investigated. Furthermore, the effect of insect-pollinators visits on the diversity of cowpea populations (Vigna unguiculata cv.-gr. unguiculata) and their impact on fresh pod and seed yield was studied. Finally, selected local populations (Vigna unguiculata cv.-gr. unguiculata) were evaluated in dry and hot summer climatic conditions of Attica.The first chapter (Chapter 1) presents a review on the literature, addressing the origin, distribution and botanical classification, wild relatives, ex situ and in situ conservation of cowpea genetic material and the importance of on-farm conservation of species diversity. Available descriptors lists and the traits that are used for the species accessions as well as the genetic investigation of the morphological traits are reported. Furthermore, reference to the evaluation of the species and the environmental effects and stresses that faces in Europe and its improvement is made. Additionally, the definition and the characteristics of local varieties/landraces/local populations are presented, while the definitions used in this study are given and justified.Τhe second chapter (Chapter 2) covers the characterization of a collection of twenty-three local populations of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata cv.-gr. unguiculata) of Greek origin using a total of thirty-two agro-morphological traits based on the proposed descriptors list by the International Council for Plant Genetic Resources (International Board for Plant Genetic Resources) (IBPGR, 1983) for the species. Also, the local populations are investigated for their seed content regarding micronutrients and total protein content. Finally, the local populations’ total (Ht), inter-population (Gst) and intra-population (Hs) diversity is investigated and the average phenotypic diversity (H ̅p) of each population for all the characteristics is calculated, using Nei's (1973) statistical method.The investigation revealed the existence of considerable phenotypic diversity and demonstrated the necessity to preserve and strengthen the cultivation of Greek local cowpea populations. Morphological traits such as seed coat color and the pigmentation around the hilum play important role in distinguishing populations. The geographical origin of the local populations did not contribute to their grouping except in the case of local populations originated from Lemnos Island. The local populations such as VG2 from Atsiki (Lemnos Island) which presented a white/cream seed color without pigmentation around the hilum area, VG13 from Amonaklios (Andros Island) which presented remarkable diversity regarding its seed morphology and VG23 from Logothetianika (Kythira Island) which showed intense red discoloration of fresh pods to a large extend could be promoted and displayed as unique products.The third chapter (Chapter 3) is further divided into two subchapters. In the first subchapter, twenty-three cowpea local populations with Greek origin are characterized in detail and an attempt is made to group or differentiate the local populations with the same place of origin namely local populations from Messinia (3), Limnos (3), Andros (6), Arta (2) and Kythira (2). Ultimate goals were to highlight these local populations and investigate the possibility for their registration in the National List of Agricultural Plant Varieties as "Varieties for Conservation". Further analysis was also applied including local populations from Lemnos and the local population VG7 from Avlonari Evia because they were grouped together during the investigation of the collection (Chapter 2). For this purpose, the frequencies of each class (pi) listed for each trait and for each local population separately and Multivariate Correspondence Analyzes (MCAs) performed using the aforementioned traits. In the second subchapter investigation of the level of knowledge of the Greek consumers regarding cowpea cultivating types and their preferences takes place.Different local populations were recorded that were previously collected from the same geographical area (e.g., Andros Island), while in other cases two or more local populations appeared to constitute one local variety (e.g., Kythira Island). Out of the twenty-three local populations, seventeen to eighteen local varieties arose based on the qualitative traits studied. Depending on the intra-population diversity and whether or not the populations formed the same local variety in a region, it is recommended that specific directions should be given to the farmers that they are responsible for their maintenance. For example, in the case of VG2 (Atsiki, Lemnos) it is recommended, due to its uniformity, to trade it and promote it as it is and to avoid exchanging and mixing it with other seed morphotypes. On the contrary, regarding VG13 from Amonaklios of Andros, it is suggested to maintain its cultivation and marketing it as a mixture of different seed morphotypes that could be a special product and achieve high price in the market as it happens in other cases abroad.The high intra-population diversity combined with the low inter-population diversity, which is observed worldwide for cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.), was also highlighted and it is emphasized that it should be seriously considered during local varieties (conservation varieties) registration. While investigating the level of knowledge and consumption of Vigna in Greece, a fairly large percentage of ignorance of the diversity that Vigna species has in our country was observed. Consumers in Greece are used in eating cowpea seeds with white color and black eye. Furthermore, they recognize the pods of the cultivated group cv-gr sesquipedalis (striped bean) as string beans and not the short fresh pods of the species. Finally, a great percentage of the consumers have no knowledge that these two products derive from the same plant species.In the fourth chapter (Chapter 4) local populations are described and the diversity among and within thirty-seven local populations and one variety of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) native to three Southern European countries (Portugal, Spain, Greece) is investigated. Furthermore, fifteen of the characterized local populations (Chapter 2) are evaluated for fresh pod production using as reference the improved line IT97K-499-35. The genetic material was characterized using thirty-three agro-morphological traits based on the descriptors list of the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources for the species, where the relative frequencies of classes for each trait are presented in detail (pi) and for each accession. Additionally, the local populations’ total (Ht), inter-population (Gst) and intra-population (Hs) diversity, as well as the average phenotypic diversity (H ̅p) of each population for all traits, were calculated using Nei's (1973) statistical method. The evaluation of fresh pods production was based on ten traits related to fresh pod yield.Local populations from the three countries shared many seed morphological traits, such as large size and white or cream seed color with the presence of black pigmentation around the hilum or absence of pigmentation, revealing similar preferences, concerning cowpea seed consumption as well as for the choice of specific cowpea morphotypes cultivation, in these countries. Conversely, certain classes of seed coat traits (patterns), such as white seeds with red spots, that are commonly found in the species' center of origin, Africa, were not recorded in our collection. Farmers' choices, soil and climate conditions as well as the insect fauna in Europe may not have favored the spread of these forms. Among local populations, some showed remarkable traits, such as Cp5648 originating from Portugal, which was the only one that included plants expressing black uniformly discolored fresh and dry pods, which in combination with the small number of accessions recorded and exhibit this feature worldwide, makes this population interesting for both breeding and commercial purposes.The populations investigated in the European collection compared to the Greek collection presented lower values of intrapopulation diversity (Hs). The lower intra-population diversity was shown to be due to the greater uniformity of the Iberian local populations in terms of flowering and fruit setting compared to the Greek local populations. This fact is probably due to the conservation of the Iberian local populations as distinct seed morphotypes. In the evaluation of the fifteen local populations, Portuguese local populations Vg59, Vg60 and Cp4906 showed early onset of flowering and early harvesting of their fresh pods and therefore may consist useful genetic material for improvement, aiming to avoid the very hot and dry summer prevailing in the area. Local populations Vg60 and Cp5128, which showed high values of yield-related traits but were also characterized by earliness or moderate earliness respectively, should be further evaluated.In the fifth chapter (Chapter 5) the floral traits of five cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) local populations and one improved line IT97K-499-35 are studied and the importance of floral traits (phenological, display, design traits) in attracting pollinators in a Mediterranean environment is investigated. Also, of cowpea pollinator species and their behavior in Athens were for the first time recorded. In addition, the contribution of pollinator visitation to fresh pod and seed yield is investigated. Gathering data to understand the diversity of the species in the region for its better conservation constituted further purpose of this research.The plant material used in this experiment presented statistically significant differences in terms of the floral traits studied. The main pollinators recorded belong to the genus Xylocopa (Latreille, 1802). Cultivation of cowpea in the area, therefore, recorded to contribute to the provision of food and to encourage the maintenance and growth of their populations. Flower traits that attracted pollinators were flower color, raceme position and the time that the flowers remained open during the day (h). However, these traits were not directly related to pollinators visitation, which does not make them single, safe traits for selection aiming to increase their visitations. It is possible that pollen and nectar, play a more important role in attracting pollinators. The abundance and foraging behavior of pollinators did not affect the fresh pod and seed yield of the entries. There was no change in the initial seed color among the seed harvested and the beginning samples used, that would indicate existence of cross-pollination. Further investigation and testing of the next generation seed morphotypes is needed to investigate the possibility of some of the entries crossing with each other as maternal effects are observed.In the sixth chapter (Chapter 6), evaluation of five local populations with Greek origin (Vigna unguiculata cv.-gr. unguiculata) (VG2-Atsiki, Lemnos, VG3-Alinda, Leros, VG4-Marathi, Mykonos, VG20-Mytilinioi, Samos, VG23-Logothetianika, Kythira) is reported, regarding their phenology and traits related to seed yield. Breeding line IT97K-499-35 is used as a reference. The evaluation took place during three experimental years.Statistically significant interaction between the experimental years and the entries was presented regarding phenological traits studied, with the exception of the days for 50% for pods maturity. Also, most of the agronomic traits studied did not show a statistically significant genotype x experimental year interaction. Exceptions were plant height (p ≤ 0.001), number of seeds per pod (p ≤ 0.05) and hundred seed weight (p ≤ 0.01). Among the traits, days from sowing to 50% of flowering (9.47%) and days from sowing to 50% of pod ripening (9.54%) showed the smallest coefficients of variation (CV%), while the coefficients of variation for seed number per plant (68.75%) and seed yield (kg ha-1) (50.94%) were quite high. Number of pods per plant (r = 0.830, p ≤ 0.001), pod length (r = 0.534, p ≤ 0.001) and number of seeds per plant (r = 0.774, p ≤ 0.001) were positively related to seed yield (kg ha-1). Entries in the second experimental year were grouped separately from those of the other two years as they exhibited shorter flowering duration, earlier pod maturity, lower number of pods per plant, lower number of seeds per plant and lower seed yield (kg ha-1). The local population VG23 (Logothetianika, Kythira Island) seems to be more adapted to the current soil and climate conditions.Σκοπός της παρούσας διδακτορικής διατριβής ήταν ο χαρακτηρισμός και η αξιολόγηση γενετικού υλικού βίγνας (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) με προέλευση από χώρες της Νότιας Ευρώπης. Για το σκοπό αυτό, εγκαταστάθηκαν πειραματικοί αγροί στην Αττική, στο Γεωπονικό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών, όπου έγινε λεπτομερής χαρακτηρισμός τοπικών πληθυσμών, που δεν είχαν διερευνηθεί προηγουμένως, από την Πορτογαλία, την Ισπανία και την Ελλάδα. Μελετήθηκε επίσης η ποικιλότητα που διατηρείται μεταξύ των τοπικών πληθυσμών και εντός κάθε τοπικού πληθυσμού. Κατόπιν, διερευνήθηκε η επίδραση της προσέλκυσης επικονιαστών στην ποικιλότητα των τοπικών πληθυσμών βίγνας (Vigna unguiculata cv.-gr. unguiculata) και την απόδοσή τους σε νωπό λοβό και σπόρο. Τέλος, ακολούθησε η αξιολόγηση, ορισμένων εκ των τοπικών πληθυσμών (Vigna unguiculata cv.-gr. unguiculata), στις ξηροθερμικές συνθήκες της Αττικής.Στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο (Κεφάλαιο 1) γίνεται ανασκόπηση της βιβλιογραφίας για το είδος, με αναφορά σε θέματα καταγωγής, εξάπλωσης και βοτανικής ταξινόμησης, άγριους συγγενείς, στην ex situ και in situ διατήρηση γενετικού υλικού βίγνας και τη σπουδαιότητα της on-farm διατήρησης της ποικιλότητας του είδους. Επίσης, γίνεται αναφορά στις διαθέσιμες λίστες περιγραφητών και τα γνωρίσματα που χρησιμοποιούνται για το χαρακτηρισμό των ποικιλιών του είδους και στη γενετική διερεύνηση των μορφολογικών χαρακτηριστικών του είδους. Ακόμα, γίνεται αναφορά στην αξιολόγηση ποικιλιών του είδους και τις περιβαλλοντικές επιδράσεις και καταπονήσεις που αντιμετωπίζουν στην Ευρώπη και τη βελτίωσή τους. Επιπλέον, παρουσιάζεται ο ορισμός και τα χαρακτηριστικά που διέπουν τις τοπικές ποικιλίες, ενώ δίνονται και αιτιολογούνται οι ορισμοί που χρησιμοποιούνται στην παρούσα μελέτη.Tο δεύτερο κεφάλαιο (Κεφάλαιο 2) αναφέρεται στο χαρακτηρισμό μίας συλλογής είκοσι τριών ελληνικής προέλευσης τοπικών πληθυσμών βίγνας (Vigna unguiculata cv.-gr. unguiculata) χρησιμοποιώντας συνολικά τριάντα δύο αγρο-μορφολογικά χαρακτηριστικά με βάση την προτεινόμενη λίστα περιγραφητών του Διεθνούς Συμβουλίου Φυτικών Γενετικών Πόρων (International Board for Plant Genetic Resources) (IBPGR, 1983) για το είδος. Επίσης, οι τοπικοί πληθυσμοί διερευνώνται ως προς την περιεκτικότητα του σπόρου τους σε μικροστοιχεία και ολικές αζωτούχες ουσίες. Τέλος, διερευνάται η ολική (Ht), η διαπληθυσμιακή (Gst) και ενδοπληθυσμιακή (Hs) ποικιλότητα των τοπικών πληθυσμών, καθώς και η μέση φαινοτυπική ποικιλότητα (H ̅p) του κάθε πληθυσμού για όλα τα υπό μελέτη χαρακτηριστικά, χρησιμοποιώντας τη στατιστική μέθοδο του Nei (1973).Η διερεύνηση αυτή φανέρωσε την ύπαρξη αξιόλογης φαινοτυπικής ποικιλότητας και κατέδειξε την αναγκαιότητα προσπάθειας διατήρησης και ενίσχυσης της καλλιέργειας των ελληνικών τοπικών πληθυσμών βίγνας. Μορφολογικά χαρακτηριστικά όπως το χρώμα του περιβλήματος του σπόρου και ο μεταχρωματισμός γύρω από την περιοχή του οφθαλμού διαδραματίζουν σημαντικό ρόλο στη διάκριση των πληθυσμών. Η γεωγραφική προέλευση των τοπικών πληθυσμών δε συνέβαλε στην ομαδοποίησή τους, παρά μόνο στην περίπτωση των τοπικών πληθυσμών της Λήμνου. Οι τοπικοί πληθυσμοί όπως ο VG2 από την Ατσική (Λήμνος) που παρουσίασε λευκό/κρεμ χρώμα σπόρων χωρίς μεταχρωματισμό γύρω από την περιοχή του οφθαλμού, ο VG13 από τον Αμονακλιό (Άνδρος) που παρουσίασε αξιοσημείωτη ποικιλότητα στη μορφολογία των σπόρων του και ο VG23 από τα Λογοθετιάνικα (Κύθηρα) που παρουσίασε έντονο κόκκινο μεταχρωματισμό νωπών λοβών σε μεγάλο ποσοστό θα μπορούσαν να προωθηθούν και να προβληθούν ως μοναδικά προϊόντα.Το τρίτο κεφάλαιο (Κεφάλαιο 3) διακρίνεται σε δύο υποκεφάλαια, όπου στο πρώτο περιγράφονται αναλυτικά οι είκοσι τρεις τοπικοί πληθυσμοί βίγνας ελληνικής προέλευσης και γίνεται προσπάθεια ομαδοποίησης ή διαφοροποίησης των τοπικών πληθυσμών με κοινή περιοχή προέλευσης (τοπικοί πληθυσμοί από τη Μεσσηνία (3), τη Λήμνο (3), την Άνδρο (6), την Άρτα (2) και τα Κύθηρα (2)), με απώτερο στόχο την ανάδειξη των τοπικών αυτών πληθυσμών και τη διερεύνηση πιθανότητας εγγραφής τους στον Εθνικό Κατάλογο Ποικιλιών φυτικών γεωργικών ειδών ως «Ποικιλίες προς Διατήρηση». Σε περαιτέρω ανάλυση υποβλήθηκαν επίσης οι τοπικοί πληθυσμοί της Λήμνου και ο τοπικός πληθυσμός VG7 από το Αυλωνάρι Ευβοίας λόγω της ομαδοποίησής τους κατά τη διερεύνηση της συλλογής (Κεφάλαιο 2). Για το σκοπό αυτό παρατίθενται οι συχνότητες των κλάσεων (pi) για κάθε χαρακτηριστικό και για κάθε τοπικό πληθυσμό ξεχωριστά και διενεργούνται Πολυμεταβλητές Παραγοντικές Αναλύσεις των Αντιστοιχιών (Multivariate Correspondence Analyses, MCAs) χρησιμοποιώντας τα προαναφερθέντα χαρακτηριστικά. Στο δεύτερο υποκεφάλαιο, γίνεται μία προσπάθεια αναγνώρισης του γνωσιακού επιπέδου του Έλληνα καταναλωτή ως προς τους καλλιεργούμενους τύπους βίγνας και των προτιμήσεών του μέσω ενός ερωτηματολογίου.Διαφορετικές τοπικές ποικιλίες καταγράφηκαν με κοινή περιοχή προέλευσης σε κάποιες περιπτώσεις (π.χ. Άνδρος), ενώ σε άλλες περιπτώσεις δύο ή περισσότεροι τοπικοί πληθυσμοί φαίνεται να αποτελούν μία τοπική ποικιλία (π.χ. Κύθηρα). Συνολικά από τους είκοσι τρεις τοπικούς πληθυσμούς προκύπτουν δεκαεπτά με δεκαοκτώ τοπικές ποικιλίες με βάση τα ποιοτικά χαρακτηριστικά που μελετήθηκαν. Ανάλογα με την ενδοπληθυσμιακή ποικιλότητα και το αν οι πληθυσμοί αποτελούν ή όχι κοινή τοπική ποικιλία σε κάποια περιοχή, συστήνεται ότι θα πρέπει να δίνονται συγκεκριμένες κατευθύνσεις στους αγρότες που τις διατηρούν. Για παράδειγμα στην περίπτωση του VG2 (Ατσική, Λήμνος) προτείνεται, λόγω της ομοιομορφίας του, η εμπορία του και η ανάδειξή του ως έχει και η αποφυγή ανταλλαγής και πρόσμιξής του με άλλο μορφότυπο σπόρων. Σε αντιδιαστολή στην περίπτωση του VG13 από τον Αμονακλιό της Άνδρου, προτείνεται η προσπάθεια διατήρησης της καλλιέργειας και εμπορίας του ως μείγμα μορφοτύπων που θα μπορούσε να αποτελέσει ένα ιδιαίτερο προϊόν και να επιτύχει μία υψηλή τιμή στην αγορά όπως συμβαίνει σε άλλες περιπτώσεις στο εξωτερικό.Αναδείχθηκε επίσης η υψηλή ενδοπληθυσμιακή ποικιλότητα και τονίζεται ότι θα πρέπει να λαμβάνεται σοβαρά υπόψιν το φαινόμενο αυτό κατά τις προσπάθειες εγγραφής τοπικών ποικιλιών του είδους. Κατά τη διερεύνηση του γνωσιακού επιπέδου και κατανάλωσης βίγνας στην Ελλάδα παρατηρείται αρκετά μεγάλο ποσοστό άγνοιας της ποικιλομορφίας που διαθέτει το είδος Vigna στη χώρα μας. Οι καταναλωτές στην Ελλάδα έχουν συνηθίσει στην κατανάλωση των μαυρομάτικων φασολιών με λευκό χρώμα και μαύρο μάτι. Επιπλέον, αναγνωρίζουν ως αμπελοφάσουλο τους λοβούς της καλλιεργούμενης ομάδας cv-gr sesquipedalis (πηχιάρικο φασόλι) κι όχι των κοντών νωπών λοβών του είδους. Τέλος, δεν υπάρχει γνώση σε μεγάλο βαθμό ότι τα δύο αυτά προϊόντα προέρχονται από το ίδιο φυτικό είδος.Στο τέταρτο κεφάλαιο (Κεφάλαιο 4) περιγράφονται τοπικοί πληθυσμοί και διερευνάται η ποικιλότητα μεταξύ και εντός τριάντα-επτά τοπικών πληθυσμών και μίας ποικιλίας βίγνας (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) με προέλευση από τρεις Νότιο Ευρωπαϊκές χώρες (Πορτογαλία, Ισπανία Ελλάδα). Κατόπιν γίνεται πρώιμη αξιολόγηση δεκαπέντε εκ των τοπικών πληθυσμών σε παραγωγή νωπού λοβού σε σύγκριση με μάρτυρα αναφοράς τη βελτιωμένη σειρά IT97K-499-35. Ο χαρακτηρισμός της συλλογής έγινε χρησιμοποιώντας συνολικά τριάντα τρία αγρο-μορφολογικά χαρακτηριστικά με βάση την προτεινόμενη λίστα περιγραφητών του Διεθνούς Συμβουλίου Φυτικών Γενετικών Πόρων (International Board for Plant Genetic Resources) για το είδος. Παρουσιάζονται αναλυτικά οι σχετικές συχνότητες κλάσεων για κάθε χαρακτηριστικό (pi) και για κάθε καταχώρηση (καταχωρημένο δείγμα). Υπολογίστηκε επιπλέον η ολική (Ht), η διαπληθυσμιακή (Gst) και ενδοπληθυσμιακή (Hs) ποικιλότητα των τοπικών πληθυσμών, καθώς και η μέση φαινοτυπική ποικιλότητα (H ̅p) του κάθε πληθυσμού για όλα τα υπό μελέτη χαρακτηριστικά, χρησιμοποιώντας τη στατιστική μέθοδο του Nei (1973). Η αξιολόγηση σε παραγωγή νωπού λοβού έγινε λαμβάνοντας υπόψιν δέκα χαρακτηριστικά που σχετίζονται με την απόδοση σε νωπό λοβό.Οι τοπικοί πληθυσμοί από τις τρεις χώρες παρουσίασαν στο σύνολό τους πολλά κοινά μορφολογικά χαρακτηριστικά του σπόρου, όπως μεγάλο μέγεθος και λευκό ή κρεμ χρώμα σπόρων με παρουσία μαύρου χρώματος μεταχρωματισμού γύρω από τον οφθαλμό ή απουσία μεταχρωματισμού γύρω από τον οφθαλμό φανερώνοντας κοινές προτιμήσεις στις χώρες αυτές όσον αφορά στην κατανάλωση του μαυρομάτικου φασολιού αλλά και στην επιλογή συγκεκριμένων μορφοτύπων βίγνας. Στον αντίποδα δεν καταγράφηκαν ορισμένες κλάσεις χαρακτηριστικών περιβλήματος σπόρου (μοτίβα), όπως λευκοί σπόροι με κόκκινες κηλίδες, που απαντώνται στο κέντρο καταγωγής του είδους, την Αφρική. Οι επιλογές των αγροτών, οι εδαφοκλιματικές συνθήκες αλλά και η εντομοπανίδα στην Ευρώπη μπορεί να μην ευνόησε την εξάπλωση αυτών των μορφοτύπων. Ανάμεσα στους τοπικούς πληθυσμούς, ορισμένοι παρουσίασαν αξιόλογα χαρακτηριστικά, όπως ο Cp5648, με προέλευση από την Πορτογαλία, που ήταν ο

Crop Wild Relatives: A Valuable Source of Tolerance to Various Abiotic Stresses

Global climate change is one of the major constraints limiting plant growth, production, and sustainability worldwide. Moreover, breeding efforts in the past years have focused on improving certain favorable crop traits, leading to genetic bottlenecks. The use of crop wild relatives (CWRs) to expand genetic diversity and improve crop adaptability seems to be a promising and sustainable approach for crop improvement in the context of the ongoing climate challenges. In this review, we present the progress that has been achieved towards CWRs exploitation for enhanced resilience against major abiotic stressors (e.g., water deficiency, increased salinity, and extreme temperatures) in crops of high nutritional and economic value, such as tomato, legumes, and several woody perennial crops. The advances in -omics technologies have facilitated the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms that may underlie abiotic stress tolerance. Comparative analyses of whole genome sequencing (WGS) and transcriptomic profiling (RNA-seq) data between crops and their wild relative counterparts have unraveled important information with respect to the molecular basis of tolerance to abiotic stressors. These studies have uncovered genomic regions, specific stress-responsive genes, gene networks, and biochemical pathways associated with resilience to adverse conditions, such as heat, cold, drought, and salinity, and provide useful tools for the development of molecular markers to be used in breeding programs. CWRs constitute a highly valuable resource of genetic diversity, and by exploiting the full potential of this extended allele pool, new traits conferring abiotic-stress tolerance may be introgressed into cultivated varieties leading to superior and resilient genotypes. Future breeding programs may greatly benefit from CWRs utilization for overcoming crop production challenges arising from extreme environmental conditions

The Relation between Flower Traits of Bitter Vetch Landraces and Potential Insect Pollinators’ Visitation

Plant–pollinator interactions research can assist in the development of more ecologically friendly crop breeding methods, leading to enhanced global food security. In the present study, we have aimed to assess fifteen floral traits as insect attractancies of six bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia (L.) Willd.) landraces, a neglected crop. Four traits related to seed yield were also measured. Abundance and foraging behavior of potential insect pollinators on bitter vetch flowers were recorded, and their species were identified. Differences among landraces regarding floral and yield traits were statistically significant in most cases. A total number of four insect species were recorded as positively visiting flowers and constituting potential pollinators of bitter vetch. At a landrace level, there was a positive correlation between potential insect pollinators’ foraging activity and the number of open flowers, especially for the landrace ERV65-Kastania, Korinthia (p ≤ 0.01). Floral tube length, as well as standard petal length, was also positively correlated in some cases with potential insect pollinator species abundance and their visitation frequency. A positive correlation was also recorded between seed yield-related traits, which varied among landraces, and potential insect pollinators’ foraging activity. The results showed that bitter vetch flowers can attract and receive positive visits from insects, despite their mainly self-pollination reproductive system. Bitter vetch flower traits, such as the number of open flowers, floral tube length, and standard petal length, could, therefore, be useful as breeding tools, aiming to develop varieties with insect pollinator-friendly traits that could lead to enhanced seed yield production and help to conserve wild insect species biodiversity in the context of sustainable agriculture