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 - 3.01
ISATIS TINCTORIA
L. (WOAD): GENETIC RESOURCES OF A NEARLY FORGOTTEN SPECIES
G. SPATARO, P.
TAVIANI, V. NEGRI
Dipartimento di Biologia Vegetale e
Biotecnologie Agro-ambientali (DBVBA), Università degli Studi di Perugia
genetic resources, Isatis tinctoria, molecular
marker
Isatis
tinctoria was widely cultivated in Europe to produce indico, a
natural blue dye; this crop was completely abandoned aside at the end of the
eighteen century, when synthetic dyes came into use.
Nowadays, the
interest in I. tinctoria is increasing: the market demand of natural dyes is
rising, as these represent an alternative solution of synthetic ones.
Aim of this study
was to evaluate different populations for:
The three
experiments revealed a high level of polymorphism for both the morphologic and
the genetic side: the populations appear to be very different each other and,
contrary to all expectations, the more interesting accessions are the oriental
ones. The local and adapted population (Borgorose) seems not to be
agronomically interesting because of the plant carriage and vigour, the leaves
colour and for the presence of pre-flowering cases.
The results
related to the agronomic characters (vigour in particular) suggest the
possibility of reintroducing successfully the crop in areas quite different for
their pedoclimatic conditions.
Besides a wide
genetic variability among population was found suggesting that efficient
breeding program could be carried out when would be necessary to create
varieties of this species. The AFLP molecular markers revealed that, in spite
of the high outcrossing and the important gene flow, the different selective
pressures caused the genetic characterization of population in different
habitats.
Moreover, the
molecular analysis confirmed that the centre of origin of I. tinctoria is
likely to be Central Asia as many other Cruciferae.