Submit to Agriculture Review for Agriculture Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Fruit Breeding, Germplasms Identification and Evaluation

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Genotype Evaluation and Breeding".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 July 2023) | Viewed by 10413

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Elisabetta Nicolosi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
Interests: fruit germplasm; genetic improvement of fruit plants; viticulture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Filippo Ferlito

E-Mail
Guest Editor

Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Olive, Fruit and Citrus Crops, Corso Savoia 190, 95024 Acireale, Italy
Interests: physiology; agroecology; stress; soil; vines; fruit tree crops; yield trait
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Several areas in the world are well known for their high-quality fruit tree crop productions, with most of them exhibiting a significant germplasm diversity potentially related to ancient practices of cultivation and seed propagation combined and well adapted to specific microclimates, soils, and orographic conditions. Breeders all over the world are particularly interested in the constitution of cultivars with a superior fruit quality (size, organoleptic characteristics, and being seedless), resistance to biotic and abiotic stress, and offering a high yield. This trend is significantly driven by consumers, but it is important to consider that several global and regional climate models indicate an actual climate change characterized by a general increase in temperatures and a decrease in rainfall. This trend could influence the biological behavior of plants with direct repercussions on their distribution and the alteration of the physiology and phenology of many species of agronomical interest. In this context, the local germplasm, harboring traits of great agronomic interest, could represent an important source of ecological interest in detecting novel sources of traits of agronomical interest such as drought resistance, a low chill requirement, adaptation to hot and dry summer conditions, and low pest and disease incidence. Pomological and genotypic analyses have become powerful tools for (i) cultivar identification, (ii) the evaluation of genetic diversity, and (iii) parentage analyses. This is a pivotal step to consider for the establishment of novel breeding programs and, as such, the valorization of ancient germplasm coupled with new breeding programs represents a valid tool for the mitigation of the effect of climate change for fruit tree crops.

Dr. Elisabetta Nicolosi
Dr. Filippo Ferlito
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

ancient germplasm
germplasm characterization
pomological and genotypic analysis
evaluation of genetic diversity
fruit quality
morphology and ampelography
molecular markers
stress resistance
climate change
organoleptic traits

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

13 pages, 1282 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pre-Harvest Bagging of Table Grapes Reduces Accumulations of Agrochemical Residues and Increases Fruit Quality

by Leonardo Paul Luca, Francesco Scollo, Gaetano Distefano, Filippo Ferlito, Stefania Bennici, Ilaria Inzirillo, Alessandra Gentile, Stefano La Malfa and Elisabetta Nicolosi

Agriculture 2023, 13(10), 1933; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13101933 - 2 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1144

Abstract

Since ancient times, table grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) have been one of the most important fruit crops from the standpoint both of the producer (regional economics) and the consumer (healthy eating). In recent decades, much effort has been devoted to the development of this crop in order to improve fruit quality and yield; however, these advances have also entailed considerable increases in the use of agrochemicals. Unfortunately, as is now coming to light, the increased agrochemical use has had deleterious effects on the environment and has also had significant negative effects on human health and wellbeing. Our research investigates the effects of pre-harvest fruit bagging on key fruit quality traits and also on the accumulation of agrochemical residues in the fruit. Two prevalent white table grape cultivars were used, ‘Italia’ (late ripening) and ‘Vittoria’ (early ripening). They were bagged with three different materials: (1) paper, (2) parchment (a cellulose-based material), and (3) a non-woven fabric (felted polypropylene fibers). The bags were placed on grape clusters at phenological state BBCH 75 until harvest, and the bagged clusters were then compared with the unbagged control clusters. Qualitative traits and agrochemical residuals were assessed at harvest for two consecutive years, 2021 and 2022). The results show that the parchment protection bags positively affected some key fruit quality traits, with bigger and better-colored berries than the unbagged controls. Compared with the unbagged controls, all bagging treatments greatly reduced the levels of agrochemical residues, analyzed using GC-MS/MS and HPLC-MS/MS. For cv. ‘Italia’, in 2021 residues fell from 0.733 mg/kg (unbagged control) to 0.006 mg/kg (bagged), and in 2022 from 0.201 mg/kg (unbagged control) to 0.008 mg/kg (bagged); for cv. ‘Vittoria’, in 2021 residues fell from 0.201 mg/kg (unbagged control) to 0.008 mg/kg (bagged), and in 2022 from 0.077 mg/kg (unbagged control) to 0.046 mg/kg (bagged). The study shows the benefits of pre-harvest fruit bagging on grape berry quality and underscores the pivotal role bags can play in minimizing agrochemical residue accumulations on the fruit. The study marks the taking of a crucial step towards more sustainable and safer practices in the table grape production industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fruit Breeding, Germplasms Identification and Evaluation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 7765 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Apulian Autochthonous Olive Germplasm: A Promising Resource to Restore Cultivation in Xylella fastidiosa-Infected Areas

by Michele Antonio Savoia, Valentina Fanelli, Monica Marilena Miazzi, Francesca Taranto, Silvia Procino, Leonardo Susca, Vito Montilon, Oriana Potere, Franco Nigro and Cinzia Montemurro

Agriculture 2023, 13(9), 1746; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13091746 - 2 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1291

Abstract

The olive tree (Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. europaea) represents the cornerstone crop of Apulian agriculture, which is based on the production of oil and table olives. The high genetic variability of the Apulian olive germplasm is at risk of genetic erosion due to social, economic, and climatic changes. Furthermore, since 2013, the spread of the Gram-negative bacterium Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca responsible for the olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS) has been threatening olive biodiversity in Apulia, damaging the regional economy and landscape heritage. The aim of this study was to investigate the differential response to X. fastidiosa infection in a collection of 100 autochthonous Apulian olive genotypes, including minor varieties, F1 genotypes, and reference cultivars. They were genotyped using 10 SSR markers and grown for 5 years in an experimental field; then, they were inoculated with the bacterium. Symptom assessments and the quantification of bacterium using a qPCR assay and colony forming units (CFUs) were carried out three and five years after inoculation. The study allowed the identification of nine putatively resistant genotypes that represent a first panel of olive germplasm resources that are useful both for studying the mechanisms of response to the pathogen and as a reserve for replanting in infected areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fruit Breeding, Germplasms Identification and Evaluation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 4351 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of Canopy Architecture of Five Olive Cultivars in a High-Density Planting System in Sicily

by Enrico Maria Lodolini, Alberto de Iudicibus, Pompea Gabriella Lucchese, Giuseppina Las Casas, Biagio Torrisi, Elisabetta Nicolosi, Alessio Giuffrida and Filippo Ferlito

Agriculture 2023, 13(8), 1612; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13081612 - 15 Aug 2023

Viewed by 860

Abstract

In a young super-high-density (SHD) olive orchard located in Aidone (EN), in the Sicily Region, Italy, the architectural features of five olive cultivars were studied, specifically Arbequina, Arbosana, Oliana^®, Giulia^®, and FS-17^®. Surveys were conducted in November 2019 considering biometric measurements for the whole tree, the canopy, and the primary and secondary branches. The “total branching frequency”, the “sectorial branching frequency”, the “total branching efficiency”, the “sectorial branching efficiency”, and the “total relative vigour” indexes were also calculated from the previous measurements. In addition, olive yield recorded for the years 2020, 2021, and 2022 (respectively, the third, fourth, and fifth years from planting) are shown in order to provide a more exhaustive description of the features of the cultivars. Giulia^® and Oliana^® resulted in being more similar to Arbequina and Arbosana, presenting a compact shape of the canopy and high and regular ramification of primary and secondary branches. FS-17^® showed a higher expansion in canopy volume and higher vigour than the other cultivars, features that suggest it can be more susceptible to damage during mechanical harvest. Regarding the elaborated indexes, “total branching frequency” resulted in being not statistically different among the cultivars. “Sectorial branching frequency” resulted in being higher in the middle sector of the trunk height (51–100 cm) for all the tested cultivars. This study supplies helpful information about the different canopy and branch architectural characteristics of the five studied olive cultivars with respect to their suitability to high-density plantations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fruit Breeding, Germplasms Identification and Evaluation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 3754 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phenotypic Plasticity in Bud Fruitfulness Expressed in Two Distinct Wine Grape Cultivars Grown under Three Different Pedoclimatic Conditions

by Elisabetta Nicolosi, Angelo Sicilia, Filippo Ferlito, Antonello Bonfante, Eugenia Monaco and Angela Roberta Lo Piero

Agriculture 2022, 12(10), 1660; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12101660 - 10 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1478

Abstract

The effects of interactions between the genotype and environmental conditions are expressed in the phenotype. Comparing the performances of genotypes under the same range of environmental conditions allows for relative measurements to be made of the different levels of plasticity among those genotypes. The objective of this research was to evaluate the different responses of two wine grape cultivars, native Aglianico and international Cabernet Sauvignon, under different pedoclimatic conditions in terms of the functional traits that govern grapevine bud fruitfulness, vegetative growth, and yield development. The study was conducted over two consecutive seasons (2020 and 2021), in six commercial Vitis vinifera L. vineyards, located in three distinct viticultural regions of central-southern Italy (Molise, Campania, and Sicily). In each experimental vineyard, the bud fruitfulness, number of leaves, total leaf area per vine, midday vine water status, and fruit yield were measured. The obtained results showed that bud fruitfulness was higher for Aglianico than for Cabernet Sauvignon in each experimental site, while the variability of plant responses between the vineyards was lower for Cabernet Sauvignon cultivar compared to those for Aglianico. The genetic × environmental interactions were expressed predominantly during berry ripening stages, while plasticity was generally greater in Aglianico than in Cabernet Sauvignon. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fruit Breeding, Germplasms Identification and Evaluation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 1986 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Parents’ Selection Affects Embryo Rescue, Seed Regeneration and the Heredity of Seedless Trait in Table Grape Breeding Programs

by Damiano Puglisi, Giuseppina Las Casas, Filippo Ferlito, Elisabetta Nicolosi, Mario Di Guardo, Francesco Scollo, Giuseppe Saitta, Stefano La Malfa, Alessandra Gentile and Gaetano Distefano

Agriculture 2022, 12(8), 1096; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12081096 - 26 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1995

Abstract

The development of new seedless cultivar represents one of the most important goals in table grape breeding programmes worldwide. The most common technique to obtain new seedless cultivars is embryo rescue, an approach that allows the isolation of immature embryos and their cultivation in vitro. In this study, a total of 23 crosses (developed employing one seeded and one seedless parent) were performed during two seasons (2017 and 2018) for a total of 1140 seedlings. For each cross, the principal parameters related to the efficiency of the pollination were measured (harvested bunches, collected berries, recovered embryos/seeds and plants obtained). Based on these traits, statistical analyses were performed to calculate the female and male parental efficiency and to compare the two techniques of propagation employed: embryo rescue (7.8% of plants obtained) and gamic propagation (8.4%). Finally, the segregation of the SSR marker p3_VvAGL11 was evaluated on the progeny of four crosses in which the same cultivar was used alternately as female or male parent (SugxIta/ItaxSug and CrixIta/ItaxCri). The parameters measured showed a positive correlation between berries, seeds and plants obtained, exclusively in combination with a seeded female parent. The crossing combinations investigated indicate that some genotypes outperformed others when used as female parent in terms of embryos/seeds produced. Therefore, the efficiency in terms of seedlings obtained for the seedless female parents is actually balanced with those obtained for the seeded ones. The proposed research aims to provide useful information to guide the choice of genotypes used in the genetic improvement programs of seedless grapes, to increase their efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fruit Breeding, Germplasms Identification and Evaluation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

16 pages, 694 KiB

Open AccessReview

Positioning Portugal in the Context of World Almond Production and Research

by Carolina Ribeiro Campos, Beatriz Sousa, Joana Silva, Megan Braga, Susana de Sousa Araújo, Hélia Sales, Rita Pontes and João Nunes

Agriculture 2023, 13(9), 1716; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13091716 - 30 Aug 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2706

Abstract

Almond production plays a very significant role in the Portuguese socio-economic context, especially with regard to dried fruit production. Indeed, Portugal is the third largest almond producer in Europe, producing 41,450 t of almonds in shells in 2021. This is due to its edaphoclimatic conditions that are favorable for its production. Traditionally, the north region of “Trás-os-Montes” has stood out as one of the most relevant for Portuguese almond production and bioeconomy. However, production in “Alentejo“ and “Beira Interior” will surpass the northern region in a short time as a result of the installation of new orchards. Despite its importance, there is a need to uncover genetic traits underlying phenotypic desirable traits needed to improve yield and quality but also cope and mitigate the impacts of climate change on their production. To address this, it is important to characterize the genetic resources available and the germplasm collection since they are crucial players for conservation and breeding initiatives. In this review, we describe the main cultivars of almonds cultivated in Portugal and their productive challenges. We also provide an overview of the main genetic resources available, breeding goals, and accomplishments regarding their improvement towards biotic and abiotic constraints in both Portugal and the rest of the world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fruit Breeding, Germplasms Identification and Evaluation)

► Show Figures