Morpho-agronomic Characterization of Artichoke Genotypes Belonging to the Institute of Plant Genetics (IGV-CNR) Collection

In the framework of a European research project, the Institute of Plant Genetics IGV-CNR (Bari) has established a collection field of artichoke, coming from various Italian regions and from other European countries (namely Spain and France). The collection was settled down at the Thematic Centre for Preservation of Mediterranean Plant Biodiversity, in the "Metaponto" area. It includes about 60 accessions of vegetatively-propagated artichokes planted after the selection of the plant genetic materials. Many accessions have been collected in the southern part of Italy, where this species is widely cultivated. Some genotypes are named differently, according to the place where they have been collected, even though they look very similar. The objective of this study is the morphological, physiological and agronomic characterization of the accessions present in the collection, using UPOV standards. The data, which are being collected for two years, will allow us to characterize morphologically and agronomically the various accessions of artichoke, and to analyze the differences among artichoke landraces. The present work is a contribution to the knowledge of the local biodiversity, and represents a useful tool for breeding programs on this crop.