La lenticchia di Villalba: caratterizzazione di uno storico agro-ecotipo siciliano

During the past 50 years in Italy, lentil cultivation had undergone a rapid decline. As a result, most of autochthonous lentil populations, selected over the time by Italian farmers, disappeared. Actually, only a few landraces are still cultivated in marginal lands and limited areas. Characterisation, evaluation and comparison with modern cultivars of lentil landraces are essential to plain actions aimed to promote their 'on farm' conservation. In this study, the results of a multidisciplinary investigation on the 'lenticchia di Villalba', an ecotype belonging to the macrosperma morphotype very appreciate in the first half of the 20th century, are reported. Some plant and seed morphological traits, grain composition were investigated, as well as genetic variation by both biochemical (seed storage proteins) and molecular (microsatellites) markers. The 'lenticchia di Villalba' showed a low variation of main plant and seed morphological traits. Seeds have a pronounced flat shape, with green not wrinkled coat and yellow cotyledon. In addition, high protein content, low ash value, and a prolonged cooking time characterised the investigated ecotype. Data from both biochemical and molecular markers revealed a high genetic diversity despite a morphological homogeneity of individuals.