Abstract
Kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) is a widely appreciated vegetable with a century-old history of cultivation in Italy. The present study was addressed to the collection and characterization of kale germplasm traditionally cultivated in Apulia, Southern Italy, nowadays at risk of genetic erosion. In total, nineteen Apulian kale accessions were acquired. Genotyping by means of simple sequence repeat (SSR) DNA markers led to the identification of highly informative primer combinations and highlighted significant patterns of molecular variation among accessions. Consistently, significant differences were observed with respect to morpho-agronomic traits, including yield and harvesting time, and the content of bioactive compounds, namely total phenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, associated with antioxidant activity. Overall, this study led to the establishment of an ex situ collection of great importance to preserve endangered Apulian kale germplasm and to provide seed access to potential growers. Meanwhile, it offers a first characterization of Apulian kale, useful to promote its consumption and valorisation through breeding programmes.
Highlights
The species Brassica oleracea L. (2n = 2x = 18) encompasses an extraordinary variety of vegetables, each one with a different domestication history: kales; Chinese broccoli; cauliflowers; cabbages; Brussels sprouts; kohlrabies; broccoli; and savoy cabbages
Seeds from a set of 19 Apulian kale (AK) accessions were collected by missions performed through the province of Bari, Apulia, Italy, which were named sequentially from AK-1 to AK-19 (Table S1)
46 simple sequence repeat (SSR) alleles were identified within the Apulian kale germplasm collection
Summary
(2n = 2x = 18) encompasses an extraordinary variety of vegetables, each one with a different domestication history: kales The non-heading varietal group of kales is the closest to B. oleracea wild relatives, and is thought to originate from a domestication process that occurred either in the Mediterranean area or in the European northwest [1]. There are no statistics for kale cultivation area at the FAOSTAT database, which considers this vegetable together with other Brassica species. From available data, it emerges that kale is extensively grown in Diversity 2018, 10, 25; doi:10.3390/d10020025 www.mdpi.com/journal/diversity. In the United States a significant increase in kale production was reported, from 3994 to 6256 harvested acres in the period from 2007 to 2012 [6]
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