sustainability-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Olive Genetic Diversity, Conservation and Sustainable Use of Genetic Resources

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability, Biodiversity and Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 2714

Special Issue Editors

CNR—Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, Via Madonna Alta 130, 06128 Perugia, Italy
Interests: development and analysis of chloroplast, mitochondrial, and nuclear molecular markers; genotyping of varieties, wild species, related subspecies of olive trees through molecular markers; use of different bioinformatic software (identity–similarity, evolution, population analyses, pedigree); association mapping; nucleic acid extraction from different matrices (food, fatty matrices, etc.); molecular traceability of olive oils and detection of varietal composition; breeding of olive cultivars and control by marker-assisted selection (MAS); technical expert for olive cultivation: planting, pruning, harvesting, and oil production
CNR—Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, Via Madonna Alta 130, 06128 Perugia, Italy
Interests: molecular evaluation of olive cultivars; ecotypes and wild populations; development of new markers; identification of functional markers and QTLs by genetic mapping or GWAS; characterization of genes involved in environmental stress response, oil synthesis, secondary metabolism, tree architecture, and incompatibility; studying the phenotypic plasticity of olive under different environments; cross-breeding aimed at selecting new cultivars able to face climatic constraints; transcriptomics; metabolomics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Systematic fingerprinting of the olive germplasm is providing detailed knowledge on the amount and distribution of genetic diversity within the species. Knowledge on the genetic diversity among olive cultivars of wild type and related forms is essential to maximize the exploration and use of germplasm resources and for the long-term success of breeding programs. Sequence polymorphisms, genetic diversity values, and allelic variations have been revealed by means of different molecular markers which, in any case, still remains an important part of the uncharacterized genetic resource of olive around the world. Knowledge on the genetic relationships among cultivars may facilitate the efficient sampling and utilization of germplasm resources by identifying unique or very distinctive gene pools. Furthermore, inventorying, characterizing, and conserving in situ millennial olive trees should be considered a priority task. Numerous ancient olive trees represent previously uncatalogued varieties and, until now, have thereby constituted an unexploited reservoir of genetic diversity.

In addition, the characterization and conservation of natural olive resources, as wild olive populations and related subspecies, may contribute an interesting gene pool and wider allelic richness to enrich the genetic basis of cultivated material. The globalization of olive cultivation, olive oil and table olive consumption, and plant marketing, within and beyond the borders of Mediterranean area, will determine the further standardization of products and, therefore, the cultivar diversification of varieties. In addition, in the near future, it is expected that the spread of new cultivars obtained by breeding will likely be to the ultimate detriment of olive variability. All the aforementioned factors may lead to a real erosion in the olive germplasm through progressive substitution and final loss of autochthonous and local cultivars.

This Special Issue aims to build a community of authors and readers to document the latest research and develop new ideas and research directions in the management of olive genetic resources and in the conservation and sustainable use of olive gene pools to face the new climate scenarios, with a direct effect on the food supply and economy of the olive growing sector.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Diversity.

Mr. Roberto Mariotti
Dr. Soraya Mousavi
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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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

  • olive genetic diversity
  • cultivars
  • wild olives
  • ancient trees
  • germplasm collection
  • molecular markers
  • breeding
  • genotyping
  • sustainability
  • conservation

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

14 pages, 2652 KiB  
Article
Exploring Olive Genetic Diversity in the Maltese Islands
by Maria Cristina Valeri, David Mifsud, Clayton Sammut, Saverio Pandolfi, Emanuele Lilli, Marina Bufacchi, Vitale Stanzione, Valentina Passeri, Luciana Baldoni, Roberto Mariotti and Soraya Mousavi
Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10684; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141710684 - 27 Aug 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2051
Abstract
A comprehensive effort was devoted to exploring, collecting and characterizing the local Maltese olive germplasm, often represented by ancient, monumental trees and by plants of uncertain origin. SSR and cp-SSR analysis of all samples enabled the identification of 46 genotypes and establishment of [...] Read more.
A comprehensive effort was devoted to exploring, collecting and characterizing the local Maltese olive germplasm, often represented by ancient, monumental trees and by plants of uncertain origin. SSR and cp-SSR analysis of all samples enabled the identification of 46 genotypes and establishment of the correspondence between ancient trees, main local varieties and other Mediterranean cultivars. The application of plastid markers enabled identification of two lineages among Maltese genotypes, with more than 50% represented by lineage E2. Twenty-nine cases of grafting were identified among the various genotypes and lineages. In most cases, E1 canopies were grafted on E2 rootstocks, but reverse cases were also observed. The phylogenetic study of Maltese genotypes, together with hundreds of cultivars from the Mediterranean Basin and beyond, highlights the richness of Maltese olive diversity and drawing attention to the genetic similarity of some Maltese olive genotypes with neighboring Italian and Algerian varieties. These results underline the long-lasting presence of the olive in the country, contributing to the reconstruction of its phylogeny and demonstrating a possible autochthonous origin of many samples. Some still-living ancient trees are at serious risk of extinction due to abandonment, urban expansion and environmental threats. This study supports the preservation of the Maltese olive germplasm and highlights its importance as a rich genetic source to face new agronomical challenges and future climatic constraints. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop