Characterization of Italian lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) germplasm by agronomic traits, biochemical and molecular markers

Genetic relationships, agronomic, nutritional and technological traits of ten Italian landraces, two improved lines and two cultivars of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) were investigated using a multi-disciplinary approach. Seed storage proteins, used as biochemical markers, were able to detect polymorphisms with variability mainly related to the polypeptide abundance. Microsatellite (SSR) molecular markers provided very useful information on genetic variation and relationships among landraces, with polymorphic fragments able to discriminate all the accessions. Lentil landraces were grouped in different clusters and sub-clusters principally on the basis of their geographical origin. The highest levels of genetic diversity were observed for lentils from ‘Castelluccio di Norcia’, ‘Colliano’ and ‘Villalba’. Field trials, performed in two locations of Southern Italy, revealed a high influence of location on yield. Comparing performances at both tested locations, the best landraces were ‘Linosa’ and ‘Valle di Nevola’ suggesting that these have the highest adaptability. Technological and nutritional data together with the agronomic ones evidenced that ‘Linosa’ lentil is the best landrace, however also ‘San Gerardo’ deserves some attention.