Italian research on collection and evaluation of local genetic resources of forage species

Italian research on collection and evaluation of local genetic resources of forage species. Forage production in Mediterranean regions is frequently based on non adapted cultivars. When seed is bought on the market the crops often fail because the seed has been selected for different environments. A well developed seed industry is still difficult to achieve in Mediterranean areas because in many countries there is a lack of an efficient organization of seed production and trade. The Italian seed organization is mainly based on distribution of seed of imported varieties with the exception of winter cereals. National programs on breeding of crop species and in particular of forage species have often failed because the adapted improved materials have encountered difficulties in the marketing phase. Recently a National Seed Plan has been implemented with the attempt to better organize the Italian seed production chain. The main aspects of the project refer to collection and evaluation of local genetic resources of herbaceous crop species; identification of suitable varieties for organic farming, specification of techniques for seed products suitable for organic agriculture and coexistence of GM and GM-free crops. At the present time the development of a catalogue of Italian landraces of herbaceous crop species, including forage species, is in progress. The aim is to pick up the best landraces destined to become "conservation varieties". A wide survey regarding Italian institutions operating in on farm and ex situ conservation has been done. In the most active Italian regions, the work is based on regional legislation aimed at preserving their genetic resources. In general there are many different grass species in natural habitats and there is no danger of genetic erosion. On the contrary the old local varieties of legume species are in serious danger because of the introduction of foreign material (e.g. lucerne) or because they do not find an economic place on the farm (e.g. Hedysarum and Onobrychis). Activities in progress on forage species in Italy are reported and discussed.