Is it still necessary to continue to collect crop genetic resources in the Mediterranean area? a case study in Catalonia

© 2017 The New York Botanical Garden Crop genetic resources have been extensively collected in Europe in the last century, creating large, publicly available ex situ collections. While this huge genetic diversity is often underutilized, in recent decades, several initiatives have emerged at the local level to collect germplasm cultivated on farm. Uncoordinated actors often carry out these collecting missions without considering previously collected data. To explore whether new collecting missions are likely to be worthwhile, we studied the crop genetic resources conservation network in Catalonia by analyzing the passport data and geographical distribution of germplasm stored in seed banks. Moreover, to determine whether this germplasm was representative of the diversity cultivated on farm, we performed new collecting missions in four randomly selected areas in the European Union’s Natura 2000 network and compared the results with the ex situ databases. Seed banks currently hold a large germplasm collection (2931 accessions), although most materials are conserved in private collections without regulated systems for seed regeneration and are not present as duplicates in the National Inventory. One important shortcoming of the ex situ network is that the germplasm conserved ex situ shows a low geographical coverage, representing only 35.3% of the municipalities in Catalonia. Our new missions allowed us to collect 234 accessions, mostly tomatoes (17.5%) and beans (16.2%). The ecological indicators’ richness (both at species (S) and variety (V) levels), total abundance (A), and the Shannon-Weaver diversity index calculated at species (H2, considering the different accessions of each variety as a single population) and variety levels (H3, considering the intra-varietal genetic diversity) were higher in the newly collected germplasm than in the ex situ collections, suggesting that seed banks do not accurately represent the genetic diversity still cultivated on farm. Moreover, some important landraces from each area were absent or underrepresented in the ex situ collections. Thus, it is necessary to continue to devote efforts to collecting germplasm; better organization between actors and targeting specific species/varieties can increase the efficiency of new collecting missions. As a conclusion, we propose different criteria to guide new missions and to improve the network’s conservation activities.Postprint (updated version

Participatory plant breeding and the evolution of landraces: A case study in the organic farms of the Collserola Natural Park

Although consumers appreciate the genetic diversity among tomato landraces, traditional varieties have been displaced from commercial agriculture. Their cultivation through organic farming in natural parks can contribute to their resurgence. With this aim, we developed a participatory plant breeding (PPB) program in Collserola Natural Park (Barcelona, Spain) to promote the conservation of the Mando landrace and to obtain new varieties adapted to local organic farmsPostprint (published version

Determination of chemical properties in ‘calçot’ (Allium cepa L.) by near infrared spectroscopy and multivariate calibration

‘Calçots’, the immature floral stems of second-year onion resprouts, are an economically important traditional crop in Catalonia (Spain). Classical approaches to evaluating the chemical properties of ‘calçots’ are time consuming and expensive; near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) may be faster and cheaper. We used NIRS to develop partial least square (PLS) models to predict dry matter, soluble solid content, titratable acidity, and ash content in cooked ‘calçots’. To guarantee the robustness of the models, calibration samples were grown and analyzed in a first season (2014–15) and validation samples in a second season (2015–16). NIRS on puree spectra estimated dry matter and soluble solid content with excellent accuracy (R2pred¿=¿0.953, 0.985 and RPD¿=¿4.571, 8.068, respectively). However, good estimation of titratable acidity and ash content required using ground dried puree spectra (R2pred¿=¿0.852, 0.820 and RPD¿=¿2.590, 1.987, respectively). NIRS can be a helpful tool for ‘calçots’ breeding and quality control.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

El tomàquet de Penjar, un tipus varietal amb una gran variabilitat

El tomàquet pertany a la família de les sola-nàcies, gènere Solanum L., secció Lycopersi-con. Aquesta secció inclou 13 espècies, una de les quals és el tomàquet conreat, Solanum lycopersicum L.. Les espècies silvestres em-parentades amb el tomàquet són nadives de l’oest de l’Amèrica del Sud, des del nord de l’Equador fins al nord de Xile, travessant tot el Perú i també les Illes Galápagos.Postprint (published version

La millora genètica vegetal a la Diputació de Barcelona

La millora genètica dels organismes vius és un procediment lent i que necessita una inversió permanent de recursos. Organitzar l’estructura que requereix un programa de millora és complex i per tant s’ha de tenir prou tenacitat per a mantenir-la al llarg del temps, ja que si el procés es reinicia repetidament la rendibilitat és encara més baixa.Postprint (published version

Development of a methodology to analyze leaves from Prunus dulcis varieties using near infrared spectroscopy

Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Multivariate classification of prunus dulcis varieties using leaves of nursery plants and near infrared spectroscopy

The emergence of new almond tree (Prunus dulcis) varieties with agricultural interest is forcing the nursery plant industry to establish quality systems to keep varietal purity in the production stage. The aim of this study is to assess the capability of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to classify different Prunus dulcis varieties as an alternative to more expensive methods. Fresh and dried-powdered leaves of six different varieties of almond trees of commercial interest (Avijor, Guara, Isabelona, Marta, Pentacebas and Soleta) were used.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

A Comparison of landraces vs. modern varieties of lettuce in organic farming during the winter in the mediterranean area: an approach considering the viewpoints of breeders, consumers, and farmers

The interest of farmers in growing lettuce landraces is increasing, as landrace varieties prove particularly appealing to consumers striving to purchase natural, local, and highquality produce. Although high genetic diversity exists in the landrace gene pool, this has scarcely been studied, thus hindering landrace utilization in agriculturePostprint (updated version

Cherry and fresh market tomatoes: Differences in chemical, morphological, and sensory traits and their implications for consumer acceptance

The tomato commercial groups cherry and fresh market, mainly classified by fruit size, have clearly segregated markets. We aimed to estimate the variation within and between these groups and to analyze factors that impact consumer acceptance. To this end, we studied the chemical profile (dry matter, sugars, acids) and fruit morphology (Tomato Analyzer) of 63 accessions grown in 2 environments (open air/soil culture; greenhouse/soilless culture)Postprint (published version

Sensory characterization of the “Calçot” (Allium cepa L.), a necessary step for its breeding

Postprint (published version