Recovery, characterisation and valorisation of Apulian minor fruit species and varieties

The launch of an organic and widespread program for the recovery of the vast heritage of minor fruit varieties in the Puglia Region was made possible by the implementation of integrated projects for biodiversity financed by the Puglia Region with the Rural Development Program. The projects allowed the discovery and the introduction of hundreds of minor varieties in the Regional Centre for the ex-situ Conservation of native fruit, vine and olive in Locorotondo and others, such as the centre for ex situ conservation of the University of Bari in Valenzano (Ba). Through these it was created a sensible improvement in the study of regional genetic resources, important investments in new collection fields, equipment, and laboratories, functional to the conservation, characterisation, and evaluation of the health status and sanitation of the recovered germplasm. A total of 92 genotypes of minor fruit trees were recovered (azareole 5, carob 3, chestnut 5, cornelian cherry 2, strawberry tree 3, quince 6, prickly pear 3, mulberry 6, jujube 3, persimmon 2, pomegranate 21, European medlar 7, Japanese medlar 1, walnut 7, hazelnut 4, pistachio 1, elderberry 2 and rowan 3). For each accession, various carpometric and photographic surveys were carried out to create pomological sheets. The description and comparison between the different accessions identified allowed the varietal identity to be verified. Genetic characterisation also allowed the identification of cases of synonymy and homonymy, as well as the construction of a database with the profiles of all the accessions tested and the obtaining of various phylogenetic trees. Furthermore, on a selection of fruit varieties worthy of valorisation, agronomic, productive, chemical and technological characterisation actions are carried out for their valorisation.