K. Hammer and G. Laghetti, 2006. Small Agricultural Islands and Plant Genetic Resources

Abstract

During a 10 year period starting in 1994, the authors conducted a systematic exploration of the cultivated crop plants on Italian islands. The results of this joint Italian-German research program are presented in this book. The book consists of two major sections. The first 128 pages present brief information on geology, geography, geomorphology, ecology, history, demography, agriculture, native and cultivated flora of 45 Italian islands. Notes on additional islands or adjacent mainland are also supplied. This part is illustrated with 146 mostly coloured photographs of characteristic landscapes, typical plants, and various impressions from agriculture and horticulture. The information was gathered during numerous germplasm collecting missions and interviews with local experts including farmers, who preserved and utilized the genetic resources. In-depth information on typical landraces, such as their folk names and special usages, are provided for several crop types. The second part of the book presents chapters summarizing the germplasm findings and extracting information on genetic erosion and historical developments. A table listing the numbers and categories of collected germplasm together with some geographical and demographic information covering 30 islands is presented. A checklist for 180 typical island crop plants is presented and the diversity status of selected taxa is discussed. The authors used 255 references, to mostly botanical contributions, showing that a vast body of literature has been inspected for related information. The appendix lists Italian folk names of the typical crop plants, synonyms for the botanical plant names used and an index of the species names occurring in this book. This book has several functions. In the foreword L. Monti (IGV) stated that ‘‘Loss of cultural identity and of local genetic resources are processes that are intimately related.’’ Both issues are addressed in this book. The authors have given an example that comprehensive diversity research in crop plants goes beyond the technical aspects of collecting, preserving and studying useful, rare or threatened crop plant diversity. By providing broad information on the ecological and socio-cultural context of the collected material, the authors show parts of the complex dynamics which result in crop genetic diversity or uniformity. Such a broad approach, based on several years of systematic exploration, is rare these days. The book counteracts the loss of cultural identity, because it creates awareness for the underlying and ongoing processes, which can easily be overlooked by the people affected by A. Diederichsen (&) Saskatoon Research Centre, Plant Gene Resources of Canada, 107, Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N OX2 e-mail: diederichsena@agr.gc.ca