Italian common bean landraces: history, genetic diversity and seed quality

Abstract: The long tradition of common bean cultivation in Italy has allowed the evolutionof many landraces adapted to restricted areas. Nowadays, in response to market demands,old landraces are gradually being replaced by improved cultivars. However, landraces stillsurvive in marginal areas of several Italian regions. Most of them appear severelyendangered with risk of extinction due to the advanced age of the farmers and thesocio-cultural context where they are cultivated. The present contribution is an overview ofthe state of the art about the knowledge of Italian common bean germplasm, describing themost important and recent progresses made in its characterization, including geneticdiversity and nutritional aspects.