Gli agro-ecotipi di fagiolo (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) del Cuneese. Primi risultati di una indagine multidisciplinare.

The on-farm survival of several Italian agro-ecotypes has been observed in all Italian regions though the number of ecotypes differs from region to region. Moreover, each region retain an own pool of ecotypes. The Cuneo province, Piedmont region, has a very long lasting tradition of common bean cultivation. The present study was carried out to evaluate and characterise the following ecotypes collected in the Cuneo province: Billò, Bianco di Bagnasco and Maumese, and the Villata one ecotype from Vercelli province. On the basis of phaseolin pattern, all the studied ecotypes were assigned to the Andean gene pool. Morphological and genetic evidences showed the high similarity between Billò and Calonega. This latter is, together with Spagnol, Spagnolet and Canalino, generically know as common beans from Lamon (Veneto region). These results support the historical information about the origin of Billò that is traditionally named by farmers of Cuneo province Fagiolo Lamon di Cuneo. Finally, the comparison of seed quality traits relative to Billò with those of Bingo e Stregonta, two cultivars widely cultivated in the Cuneo province, showed the good seed quality of the local ecotype.