Page 3 - PlantGenetic132pag41_49

40 Plant Genetic Resources Newsletter, 2002, No. 132
Thus it is irnportant to acquire wildAvena germplasm while it is
stiliavailable. CanadianoatbreedersseekItalian germplasmofthe
hexaploidAvena sterilis, since they alreadysuccessfullyintroduced
resistance for crown rust from Italiangermplasm into cultivated
oats. Recently, a new species of the genusAvena has been discov-
ered in Sicily (Ladizinsky 1998). This shows that Sicily is rich in
diversity for this genus and stresses the irnportance for collecting
and studyingits gerrnplasrn.
Sicily is also acentre ofdiversity for the Brassicagenus, with a
great variation of expression of characters, both arnong and
within crops and related wild species (Branca and Iapichino
1997; Perrino 1997).The most cornrnon Brassica crop landraces
are broccoli (B. oleracea L. var. italica Planck), cauliflower (B.
oleracea var.botrytis (L.) Alef.), kale (B. oleracea var. acephala (OC.) prises, together with three inhabited main islands of Favignana,
Alef.) and kohlrabi (B. oleracea var. gongylodes L.). Among the
wild species B. fruticulosa (Cyr.), B. drepanensis (Caruel) Ponzo, B.
macrocarpa Guss., B.rupestris Rafin. and B. villosa Biv.are present.
Thelattercould cross with cultivated species, and so it ispossible
to find some characteristic typeswith intermediate traits. Forthis
reason the expedition was supported also by the Departrnent of
Garden-, Flower- and Tree-Cultivation and Agronomy
(Dipartimento di Orto-Floro-Arboricoltura e Tecnologie
Agroalimentari (DOFATA) of Catania University.
Collecting methods
ln August/September 2000, a collectingrnission was carried out
in Egadi archipelago (Sicily). The prirnarysources ofthe collected
Marettimo levanz~
E ~
GA
Lev1n zo
Dl
Favignana _
o 10 i<m
Figure 1. Geographical position of the Egadi archipelago and Isole dello Stagnone. The collecting areas in Sicily are
indicated in grey.
accessions were fields and growers' reserves. Forwild taxa, seeds
and young plants were gathered. At each collecting site a pass-
port data sheet of the IG was filled in. The elevation, longitude
and latitudeofeachcollectingsite were deterrnined byahandheld
GPS system. In addition to the data recorded directly by the
collecting team, further information on insular agriculture was
registered from local specialists and through many interviews
with farmers. Moredetails on the collecting methods and explo-
ration strategy used are described in the reports of previous
expeditions in other Italian minor islands (Harnrner et al. 1997;
Laghetti et al. 1996, 1998b, 1999a,b,2002a, 2002b).
Egadi archipelago
Egadiarchipelago, the largest Mediterraneanmarine reserve, com-
Levanzo and Marettirno, the two islets of Formica and Maraone
(Figure 1), which are today uninhabited. Generai information on
the history, economy,geologyand climate ofEgadiislands canbe
found in Racheli (1979).
Favignana
Up to ca. 60 years ago the rnain economie activities on this island
were: fishing (very farnous in the world oftunny), fish industry,
tufa quarrying and agriculture. Subsequently, as in rnany other
ltalian places, these traditional professions have in recent tirnes
almost completely been abandoned and replaced, by tourism.
Maraone
' t;)Fonnica