Molecular, morphological and yield variation among and within populations of globe artichoke, cv "Spinoso sardo"

The aim of this study was to measure molecular variation, using RAPD, as
well as checking morphological and yield variation of artichoke heads in five
populations of ‘Spinoso sardo’, the most widely grown and economically important
cultivar in Sardinia (Italy). Considerable variation was observed for most of the
morphological and yield characters studied. Analysis of molecular data showed
significant dissimilarities between population. High level of variation within
population was also detected, possibly as a consequence of the multiclonal
composition of the populations but might also be due to mutations occurring over
time (chromosomal aberrations, aneuploidy, polyploidy etc) which have been
selected and vegetatively propagated together with non-variant plants.
Our results show the need to apply clonal selection to narrow the broad
genetic variability within the cultivar and provide uniform and selected material to
farmers. They in turn provide useful information for the definition of the cultivar
ideotype and address important questions on the most suitable strategies for
germplasm preservation and cultivar fingerprinting.