National Day of Agricultural and Food Biodiversity: Elisa Pellegrino, researcher at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, participates in the event “National Day of Agrobiodiversity” organised by the Liguria region

Promoting and protecting biodiversity in agricultural and food systems. This is the main purpose of the National Day of Agricultural and Food Biodiversity, established in 2015 and celebrated every 20 May. For the occasion, the Liguria region has organised an event entitled “National Agrobiodiversity Day” to illustrate the activities carried out and the results achieved in numerous projects funded on these issues with funds from the 2014/2022 Rural Development Programme and national funds from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry.

Elisa Pellegrino, assistant professor in Agronomy and Herbaceous Crops at the Institute of Crop Science of the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, is participating in the initiative by presenting the results of the ORTIGE project (ORTaggI GEnovesi: conservation of biodiversity, tradition and future) , which aims to select, conserve and select five local genotypes belonging to vegetable species of the Brassicaceae and Solanaceae families (turnip; Genoese curly kale; gaggetta cabbage; Genoese melanzanina; pursemin tomato) and two genotypes belonging to herbaceous species of the Fabaceae family, to ensure their presence over time and their registration in the National Register of Biodiversity of Crops of Agricultural and Food Interest.

The future prospects for biodiversity

Elisa Pellegrino presents a poster and participates in the round table of project leaders with regional representatives to discuss issues of plant biodiversity and prospects for future activities. The project has carried out activities such as: the preservation of the variety through selection and reproduction in situ of the seed (collection fields at three partner companies of the project); isolation and pure reproduction, in order to maintain the identity of the genotype and prevent hybridisation with other varieties; local interviews; historical and bibliographic analysis; phenological, morphological and nutritional characterisation of all plant species of interest through the definition of operational specifications and joint field and laboratory surveys; genetic and nutraceutical characterisation of the Lavagna pea; nutraceutical characterisation of the pursemin tomato, penadronetto green bean and Genovese aubergine; description of agronomic techniques through the definition of a cultivation protocol, standardised procedures for harvesting and sampling plant material and surveys; preparation of descriptive sheets; creation and management of the germplasm bank: ex situ conservation at the Laboratories of the Institute of Crop Science of the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies; initiation of the procedure for registration in the National Biodiversity Register; dissemination, information and awareness-raising activities at local level.