Solina: An Example of Ancient Wheat Suitable for the Protection of Agrobiodiversity and Agricultural Workers’ Health
, Riccardo De Flaviis 3, Claudio Beni 4, Marco Di Santo 5, Donato Silveri 6, Fabiola De Amicis 7, Orietta Menna 8 and Laura Casorri 1
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsReviewer - Comments
I got acquainted with your manuscript entitled “Solina: an example of ancient wheat suitable for the protection of agrobiodiversity and the agricultural workers health” with great interest. The review article presents a special organoleptic, bio-diversified and nutritional characteristics of Solina, a wheat variety, considered one of the ten rarest and most valuable mountain food products in the world. This study did not provide any comparative details between Solina and other cereals or common wheat verities. The article should include these comparisons, particularly regarding nutritional and health benefits, sustainability and resilience, as well as genetic diversity and uniqueness. Moreover, I’ve made a few other points to assess the depth thoroughness and scientific grounding of the review paper while identifying areas for improving or additional investigations. By making these points clear, the manuscript will be more valuable and its contribution to the field will be better understood. I have delineated a few comments below; please address these points.
1- The article does not include a sufficient number of references, particularly under the main headings, as indicated in Line# 117, line#195.
2- Provide references for the sentences claimed in the line # 365-367, line# 380-382, line# 400-407, line # 469-475.
3- Please explain that how the Solina wheat cultivar achieved the resilience without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides? Are these case studies are empirical data supporting this adaptability to marginal environments?
4- Authors claim that Solina contributes to agro biodiversity. Please discuss how this variety interacts with other components of the local ecosystem, including soil microbiota, other crops, and local fauna?
5- The authors haven’t referenced any scientific studies or demonstrated the specific health benefits of consuming Solina, particularly for individuals with gluten related issues. How does it compare with other alternative grains in terms of health impacts?
6- This paper does not provide robust evidence for the sustainability claims made. For example, are there life cycle assessments or environmental impacts studies that compare the cultivation of Solina with modern wheat cultivars?
7- The authors should explain and address the challenges and limitations of integrating Solina into modern agricultural systems. Are there any economic or logistic considerations that authors should discuss here?
8- Beyond historical practices, the manuscript should suggest future strategies for ensuring the continued conservation of Solina, especially in the light of climate change or evolving agricultural practices.
10- The authors claimed that the Solina variety has less gluten content and low in protein contents. Are there any comparative studies mentioned that show how its gluten content differs from the other modern wheat varieties? Please provide any comparative investigation to prove Solina acquire low protein contents and how it's beneficial to health?
1
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageA little bit English quality is required to improve to more clearly express the research.
Author Response
Please see the attached file.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsLine 27: I don't really understand that part. Human nutrition does not depend only on the crops you listed. And it has nothing to do with genetic variation.
Line 40: As I understand it, "Slow Food International", "Slow Food Italy", "Slow Food..." represent organizations dedicated to... Please, you're writing a scientific publication. The aim of a scientific publication is to present data, evaluation, consequences.
The abstract does not meet the requirements. It will have to be rewritten. The purpose of the abstract is to describe what was done, how it was done, and what was found.
Line 48. Typo.
Line 49-53. In these regions, in the past, mainly in the inland hilly and mountainous areas, numerous local varieties (landraces seed propagated crops) with high genetic variability, tolerant to biotic and abiotic stresses, specifically adapted to the environmental conditions of the cultivation area, and characterized by yields that were consistently but not particularly high [15].
There's something missing in that sentence. It will be necessary to have a professional or native speaker read the entire paper.
Line 58. Please don't repeat sentences from the article and the abstract.
Line 108: typo (Solina is the only case-study in0 Italy).
There is no mention of farmworker health in either the abstract or the introduction. The title of the article needs to be changed.
Line 123: Referring to wheat (but not only), the adjective ‘ancient’ should therefore be attributed only to those varieties cultivated before the beginning of the 20th century.
Ancient varieties were at the birth of agriculture, about 10 thousand years before Christ. Such as T. monococcum, T. dicoccum, T. spelta (later).
L 143: We can therefore consider the following varieties to be ancient wheat: Rieti, Solina, Gentil rosso, Verna, Rosciola, Ruscìa, Jervicella, Saragolle and many other grains, such as the Sicilian ones, both soft and hard, all recently rediscovered.
What kind of T. are they?
L 153: In this context, it is important to define the role and function of old and ancient varieties with respect to the agricultural biodiversity of our country and the entire world community.
I don't quite understand that sentence. It fell into the text like a bolt from the blue.
L 155: In modern agriculture, the importance of old varieties is crucial, especially for the valorisation of traditional local production and for the preservation of the natural environment through the adoption of sustainable development projects shared with resident populations. [28].
Typo. And…it would be good to separate the ancient and old varieties.
L 201: It adapts well to poor and skeletal soils and is particularly suitable for organic cultivation.
Please, add references.
L 203: It adapts well to poor and skeletal soils and is particularly suitable for organic cultivation. Please, add references.
L 241: De Flaviis et al.
L 250 – 292: Not a single source was used in the range of these lines.
L 372: Famous is the quote from the end of the 18th century in the book "Pel Paese dei Peligni" by Michele Torcia in which he writes that "one of the best breads in the Kingdom" was obtained from the Solina wheat.
Please, you're writing a scientific publication. This shouldn't be here.
L 376: Aquistucci et al., (typo)
L 476: The regulation: why? What is the meaning?
41 References for Review?
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageEnglish must be checked by a native speaker or professional service.
Author Response
Please see the attached file.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsComments to the manuscript
SOLINA: AN EXAMPLE OF ANCIENT WHEAT SUITABLE FOR THE PROTECTION OF AGROBIODIVERSITY AND
THE AGRICULTURAL WORKERS HEALTH
by Masciarelli E. et al
Ancient wheat cultivars are of particular interest as they present not only agronomical but also scientific and cultural value. The review is devoted to the important heritage winter common wheat cultivar Solina, its characteristics and recommendations for growing.
Some revisions are recommended.
Please define more precisely the objective of the review in the text.
It would be better to replace ‘soft wheat’ by ‘bread wheat’ or ‘common wheat’ when referred to species identity (T. aestivum), and ‘soft wheat’ is to be retained when referred to soft-textured bread wheat varieties
It would be better if the key words differ from the title, for example, include Triticum aestivum, local variety, landrace, in situ conservation
Please check all the references as there are examples of inadequate references:
· Lane 48: the first references in the manuscript are [13, 14]. References should be used in the ascending order, beginning form [1].
· Durazzo et al (2016) is [36] but not [38] (lane 306);
· Lane 330 De Flaviis et al (2023) [18] is to be ....[17].
· lane399: Morcia et al (2023) is not [13], but [12].
· Reference [42] is absent in the list of references.
· There are no references 7-11, in the text
Lanes 49-53: the sentence does not contain the predicate.
lane 192: ‘defense’ should be replaced by ‘protection’
lane 204: ‘four biscuits’ should be replaced by ‘biscuit four’
Lane 61: barley and oats could be added to the list of cultivated cereals.
Some paragraphs in the text should be combined, for example, paragraphs 3 and 4 on page 4, 5-7 on page 4, 1-3 on page 5
Present the sections Processing methods and Production regulations as tables with relevant names and appropriate references in the text.
Please provide references for evaluation of grain texture, dough strength characteristics of Selina in the paragraph on lane 349, as there is only reference [35] on beer flavour.
It seems that ‘Caratteristiche varietali’ is to be removed in table on lane 477
Lane 482: ‘Ancient wheat varieties have attracted more attention because several studies have 481
suggested that they may have a better nutritional profile as more vitamins, minerals and 482
nutraceutical compounds than modern grains.’ There was no information in the review about the content of vitamins and minerals so the conclusions are to be modified.
Author Response
Please see the attached file.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe authors have put a lot of work into the rewrite and the article looks much better now. Responses to comments have been provided. Based on the changes made, I therefore recommend it for publication.
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsSOLINA: AN EXAMPLE OF ANCIENT WHEAT SUITABLE FOR THE PROTECTION OF AGROBIODIVERSITY AND THE AGRICULTURAL WORKERS HEALTH
The authors have made the necessary revisions.
I’d recommend to replace ‘planting distance’ by ‘seeding rate’ on lane 263. This can be done when reading proofs.
