Access Volume II by clicking this link

Local landraces are traditional crop varieties cultivated in specific locations and constitute a valuable source for breeding purposes towards the creation of elite cultivars and hybrids. The intensification of modern horticulture has put these genotypes aside, since farmers tend to select hybrids or commercial cultivars due to higher yield, uniformity and marketability. However, despite the short-term benefits for farmers’ income, this trend puts in danger valuable genetic resources and increases the threat of genetic erosion, especially when considering the climate change and its implications on modern intensified horticulture. In recent years, there has been increasing concern among consumers regarding food quality, as more and more consumers want to know the origin of their food by selecting products labeled as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), and Traditional Specialties Guaranteed (TSG).

The proposed Research Topic aims to reveal the importance of local landraces preservation for sustainable horticulture, focusing on special quality features that local landraces present due to their adaptation to specific growing conditions after domestication. The various landraces are very distinct in their quality features based on the region where they are cultivated and the preferences of local markets. Therefore, it is of high importance to highlight these differences and identify genotypes that could be further exploited by producing high added value products and by reinforcing local rural economies.

The current status of crop production has highlighted the significant negative impact of climate change on global food security and has also demonstrated the urgent need for actions aimed at valorizing underexploited genetic material and intensifying modern agriculture to increase food production. This Research Topic aims to reveal the great variability in the germplasm of horticultural species through the investigation of traditional local or farmers' varieties, ecotypes or even wild edible greens which are the ingredient of healthy diets throughout the world, including the Mediterranean diet. Moreover, the determination of unique quality and bioactive features that these genotypes usually possess makes them ideal for securing modern farmer's income while meeting the current consumer needs for healthy and functional foods.

Contributors are invited to submit reviews or original research papers. Topics include, but are not limited to the following:

• Quality features of vegetable local landraces in comparison with commercially available genotypes

• Effect of cultivation practices (fertilization, growing systems) on local landraces quality

• Environmental effects of local landraces cultivation in comparison to conventional genotypes (agrochemical inputs, carbon footprint, sustainability of growing systems)

• Ethnobotanical surveys regarding the recording of local landraces in various regions

• Therapeutic and pharmaceutical properties based on bioactive properties of local landraces

• Chemotyping and chemical fingerprinting of local landraces

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Rediscovering Local Landraces: Shaping Horticulture for the Future, Volume III