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 - 2.07

MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF SAINFON ECOTYPES COMES FROM ABRUZZO REGION

R. TORRICELLI, S. ANCILLOTTI, D.D. SILVERI

Department of Plant Biology and Agroenvironmental Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06100 Perugia (Italy)

sainfon, landraces, AFLP

Sainfon (Onobrychis viciaefolia Scop) belongs to Leguminosae family, tribe Hedysareae. The genus is formed by 125 species. O. viciaefolia (2n=4x=28) is a forage crop useful in marginal lands of Central Italy, in particular in a region such as Abruzzo largely characterized by poor and hilly lands. The cultivation of sainfoin in Italy is based on few varieties and local ecotypes which are very interesting resources for varietal development.

The Agricultural Development Agency of the Abruzzo Region is developing a project devoted to the collection, conservation and characterization of sainfoin ecotypes. The aim of this project is to investigate on the genetic material comes from the farmers of Abruzzo region and development new varieties adapted at the climate of this Region.

Sixteen sainfon populations (13 landraces and 3 commercial cultivars) were seeded in 2001 spring in three experimental fields (two in Abruzzo and one in Umbria region) under a randomized complete block design with four replications. Morphological variables measured during 2002-2003 were: flowering time, dry matter yield, plant height and after cut regrowth.

Furthermore, to characterize DNA polymorphisms among the collected populations, samples from 10 genotypes of each accession were used to carry out amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) analysis.