Proceedings of the XLVII Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics - SIGA Annual Congress

Verona, Italy - 24/27 September, 2003

ISBN 88-900622-4-X

Poster Abstract - 2.02

ARTICHOKE HYBRID PRODUCTION BY USE OF MALESTERILE CLONES

C. STAMIGNA*, G. PANDOZY**, F. MICOZZI***, P. CRINÒ****, F. SACCARDO***

*) ENEA C.R. Trisaia (Mt)

**) ARSIAL, Roma

***) Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Dipartimento Produzione Vegetale, Viterbo

****) ENEA C.R. Casaccia (Roma), UTS Biotecnologie, Protezione

Cynara scolymus, F₁ hybrids, malesterility

After identification and characterization of 5 malesterile (MS) plants within an INRA F₂ population, artichoke breeding activities have been addressed towards their exploitation in producing hybrids capable of reducing the cultivation costs and the disease widespread. Foreign hybrids up to now available are not well adapted to our pedoclimatic conditions as well as to changes of our production calendar.

The different malesterile parents, maintained by both shoots in the field and micropropagation in the laboratory, have been crossed either with selected clones of “romanesco” type or with cardoon to transfer interesting traits. F₁ and F₂ offsprings as well as synthetic populations have been realized within French clones selected for their high ability to produce seed and genetic stability. Phenotypic analyses on plants and cytological studies on malesterility trait that, in our F₂ populations, confirmed a segregation ratio corresponding to the involvement of two recessive genes, have been carried out. Among the hybrids realized, the cross combination between a malesterile clone and Italian cv. Grato 1 evidenced a good genetic uniformity of the plants and heads which belonged to the “romanesco” typology. The use of molecular markers is allowing to better characterize the hybrids obtained. The offsprings from the cross combination MS x cardoon showed a great genetic variability and potentialities to select plants resistant to Verticillium dalhiae.

The production of F₁ hybrids offers new possibilities to artichoke breeding with new chances of producing interesting genotypes well adapted to our pedoclimatic conditions and also characterized by a wide earliness range and adaptability to mechanical harvesting.