Abstract
This work investigated the genetic diversity of 134 Castanea sativa Mill. accessions present in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. Samples were taken from three collection fields (Granaglione, Zocca and Paloneta) in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. The accessions were analyzed by using 16 microsatellite markers (SSR). Genetic distances among accessions, calculated through the DICE coefficient, were used to construct an UPGMA cluster analysis. One major genotype (named “Marroni”) was identified across the three investigated collection fields; this variety corresponds to a sweet chestnut cultivar that has been propagated and widely diffused in the Emilia-Romagna region. Other genotypes were represented by different varieties of Italian chestnuts. The results of this study will be used to define and share guidelines for the characterization and varietal certification of the chestnut varieties in the Emilia-Romagna region.
Highlights
To date, the natural distribution area of the European chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) mainly includes southern Europe and southwestern Asia
The 16 Single Sequence Repeats (SSRs) used in this study revealed a total of 132 alleles, with an average of 8.2 alleles per locus
We performed the molecular characterization of a collection of 134 grafted chestnut and sweet chestnut (Marroni group) accessions from different collections in the Emilia-Romagna region, which corresponded to 21 representative varieties
Summary
The natural distribution area of the European chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) mainly includes southern Europe and southwestern Asia. The European distribution area extends from the northwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula to Caucasia and the Caspian Sea [1]. The current biodiversity of the chestnut tree originates from glacial refugia located in Transcausasia and in the Italian and Iberian peninsulas, where chestnut trees probably found a favorable habitat. During the Holocene, chestnut trees spread to the surrounding areas as a result of post-glacial climate conditions and human activities [2]. The first unambiguous evidence of chestnut cultivation was reported in the Middle East and Greece and dates back to about 4000 B.C., chestnut use was reported during the Neolithic (6000 BP) [3]. In the Greek and pre-Christian world, chestnut tree cultivation was a minor activity
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