scholarly journals Morphological and Chemical Variation of Wild Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) Populations

Forests ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
Igor Poljak ◽  
Nada Vahčić ◽  
Zlatko Liber ◽  
Zlatko Šatović ◽  
Marilena Idžojtić

Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill., Fagaceae) is one of the oldest cultivated tree species in the Mediterranean, providing multiple benefits, and, since it has edible seeds, it represents an interesting model species for the research of morphological and chemical variability. In this study, morphometric methods and chemical analyses were used to quantify the extent of differences in phenotypic and nutritional traits between eight natural populations of sweet chestnut from different environmental conditions, where different management types are applied, high-forest and coppice. The samples were collected from the Prealps in Italy to the western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In total, 31 nut and kernel morphometric and nutritional traits were studied on 160 trees, and various multivariate statistical analyses were used to study intra- and interpopulation variations. Both analyses, morphometric and chemical, revealed a similar pattern of diversity, with morphological and chemical variability not associated with geographic or environmental variables. In addition, we found significant correlations between morphometric and chemical data. High phenotypic variability was determined both among and within the studied populations, and all populations had a similar level of diversity. The results of the analysis of morphological and chemical diversity can have many practical applications for the management, production, and conservation of the sweet chestnut genetic resources for nut production.

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanos Diamandis

Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) is an important tree for Greece. The invasive fungus Cryphonectria parasitica, which causes chestnut blight, was first found in Central Greece in 1963. It has since spread all over the country, significantly reducing the national annual nut production. The increasing decline of forests and orchards due to the disease led to a project in 1995, which aimed at studying the feasibility of applying biological control. A prerequisite study of the existing vegetative compatibility types of the pathogen showed only four, and their distribution was mapped. A pilot project (1998–2000) that consisted of clear cutting heavily infected coppice stands and introducing hypovirulence to the remainder was implemented on Mt. Athos on a 7000 ha sweet chestnut forest. Two evaluations (in 2003 and 2011) revealed that hypovirulence was established in the sweet chestnut forests and spread more or less homogeneously. A nationwide project introducing hypovirulence to 29 counties was implemented in two, 3-yr-periods 2007–2009 (17 counties) and 2014–2016 (12 counties). The new evaluations showed that hypovirulence spread profoundly and forests and orchards started recovering. The appearance of natural hypovirulence cannot be predicted. Introduced hypovirulence and silvicultural interventions can be used to manage the disease. It is the responsibility of the forest/orchard manager to decide whether to wait for appearance of natural hypovirulence, or to introduce it for a faster decline in disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Castellana ◽  
Maria Ángela Martin ◽  
Alejandro Solla ◽  
Francisco Alcaide ◽  
Fiorella Villani ◽  
...  

Genetika ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 251-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandar Odalovic ◽  
Ranko Prenkic ◽  
Darko Dubak ◽  
Miodrag Jovancevic ◽  
Miroslav Cizmovic ◽  
...  

This paper presents the five-year long research results (2007-2011) of phenological observations (beginning, full flowering and the end of flowering), morphometric analysis (fruit weight, length, width and thickness of fruit, as well as length and width of the hilum), the ripening time and the average yield of selected genotypes of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.). The results show that in terms of time of flowering chestnut trees examined in the group are very early flowering. The ripening of studied chestnut trees shows that the earliest harvest tree was Ostros II, VII and Kostajnica V (09.11.), and Kostajnica III (14.11.) were the latest. The average fruit weight of the selected sweet chestnut trees was (6.9 g). The highest average fruit weight (10.6 g), had the examined Ostros I tree, and the lowest (4.8 g), Kostajnica VI. The yield of the tested chestnut trees was on average (76.3 kg / tree). The selected trees Kostajnica II (66.0 kg / tree), Kostajnica I (69.0 kg / tree) had the smallest yield and Ostros VI (94.0 kg / tree) and Ostros V (87.0 kg / tree) had the highest. Obviously it can be concluded that population genetic variability is very high and gene expression is highly affected in tested samples on both locations. For further research it should be given attention to investigate genotypes in controlled conditions, the best in vitro in tissue culture.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1538
Author(s):  
Ana Teresa Alhinho ◽  
Miguel Jesus Nunes Ramos ◽  
Sofia Alves ◽  
Margarida Rocheta ◽  
Leonor Morais-Cecílio ◽  
...  

The sweet chestnut tree (Castanea sativa Mill.) is one of the most significant Mediterranean tree species, being an important natural resource for the wood and fruit industries. It is a monoecious species, presenting unisexual male catkins and bisexual catkins, with the latter having distinct male and female flowers. Despite the importance of the sweet chestnut tree, little is known regarding the molecular mechanisms involved in the determination of sexual organ identity. Thus, the study of how the different flowers of C. sativa develop is fundamental to understand the reproductive success of this species and the impact of flower phenology on its productivity. In this study, a C. sativa de novo transcriptome was assembled and the homologous genes to those of the ABCDE model for floral organ identity were identified. Expression analysis showed that the C. sativa B- and C-class genes are differentially expressed in the male flowers and female flowers. Yeast two-hybrid analysis also suggested that changes in the canonical ABCDE protein–protein interactions may underlie the mechanisms necessary to the development of separate male and female flowers, as reported for the monoecious Fagaceae Quercus suber. The results here depicted constitute a step towards the understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in unisexual flower development in C. sativa, also suggesting that the ABCDE model for flower organ identity may be molecularly conserved in the predominantly monoecious Fagaceae family.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (20) ◽  
pp. 11192-11216
Author(s):  
Paola Pollegioni ◽  
Stefano Del Lungo ◽  
Ruth Müller ◽  
Keith E. Woeste ◽  
Francesca Chiocchini ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1934578X1601100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margherita Campo ◽  
Patrizia Pinelli ◽  
Annalisa Romani

Sweet Chestnut ( Castanea sativa Mill.) wood extracts, rich in Hydrolyzable Tannins (HTs), are traditionally used in the tanning and textile industries, but recent studies suggest additional uses. The aim of this work is the HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS characterization of Sweet Chestnut aqueous extracts and fractions obtained through a membrane separation technology system without using other solvents, and the evaluation of their antioxidant and antiradical activities. Total tannins range between 2.7 and 138.4 mM; gallic acid ranges between 6% and 100%; castalagin and vescalagin range between 0% and 40%. Gallic Acid Equivalents, measured with the Folin-Ciocalteu test, range between 0.067 and 56.99g/100g extract weight; ORAC test results for the marketed fractions are 450.4 and 3050 μmol/g Trolox Equivalents/extract weight. EC50 values, measured with the DPPH test, range between 0.444 and 2.399 μM. These results suggest a new ecofriendly and economically sustainable method for obtaining chestnut fractions with differentiated, stable and reproducible chemical compositions. Such fractions can be marketed for innovative uses in several sectors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 143 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 469-477
Author(s):  
Damird Drvodelić ◽  
Igor Poljak ◽  
Marilena Idžojtić ◽  
Ivana Zegnal ◽  
Katarina Tumpa ◽  
...  

U radu su prikazani rezultati ispitivanja laboratorijske klijavosti i morfoloških značajki klijanaca europskoga pitomoga kestena (Castanea sativa Mill.). Uzorci za istraživanja sakupljeni su u submediteranskom području Hrvatske, a radni uzorak za ispitivanje klijavosti iznosio je 8×25 sjemenki. Sjeme je do ispitivanja klijavosti čuvano tri mjeseca u hladnjaku na temperaturi od 3 °C. Postotak laboratorijske klijavosti utvrđen je prema postotku pravilnih klijanaca koji su normalno proklijali nakon 27 dana ispitivanja. Ispitivanje je provedeno u laboratoriju prema uvjetima koje propisuje ISTA (International Seed Testing Association). Izrađen je katalog sa slikama i opisom nepravilnih klijanaca. Na osnovi definiranih kodova nepravilnih klijanaca moguće je preventivno djelovati kako bi se reducirale nepoželjne jedinke. Rezultati ovog istraživanja od velike su koristi za razumijevanje složenoga procesa klijanja sjemena, kako u laboratoriju, tako i šumskim rasadnicima.


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