Genet Resour Crop Evol (2012) 59:1727–1741
DOI 10.1007/s10722-012-9794-x
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Castanea spp. biodiversity conservation: collection
and characterization of the genetic diversity
of an endangered species
M. G. Mellano • G. L. Beccaro • D. Donno •
D. Torello Marinoni • P. Boccacci • S. Canterino
A. K. Cerutti • G. Bounous
•
Received: 24 October 2011 / Accepted: 9 January 2012 / Published online: 24 March 2012
Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012
Abstract Centuries of co-evolution between Castanea spp. biodiversity and human populations has
resulted in the spread of rich and varied chestnut
genetic diversity throughout most of the world,
especially in mountainous and forested regions. Its
plasticity and adaptability to different pedoclimates
and the wide genetic variability of the species
determined the spread of many different ecotypes
and varieties in the wild. Throughout the centuries,
man has used, selected and preserved these different
genotypes, vegetatively propagating them by grafting,
for many applications: fresh consumption, production
of flour, animal nutrition, timber production, thereby
actively contributing to the maintenance of the natural
biodiversity of the species, and providing an excellent
example of conservation horticulture. Nonetheless,
currently the genetic variability of the species is
critically endangered and hundreds of ecotypes and
varieties are at risk of being lost due to a number of
phytosanitary problems (canker blight, Chryphonectria parasitica; ink disease, Phytophthora spp.; gall
wasp, Dryocosmus kuriphilus), and because of the
many years of decline and abandonment of chestnut
cultivation, which resulted in the loss of the binomial
M. G. Mellano G. L. Beccaro (&) D. Donno
D. T. Marinoni P. Boccacci S. Canterino
A. K. Cerutti G. Bounous
Department of Arboriculture, University of Turin,
Via Leonardo da Vinci, 44, 10095 Grugliasco, TO, Italy
e-mail: gabriele.beccaro@unito.it
male chestnut. Recently, several research and experimentation programmes have attempted to develop
strategies for the conservation of chestnut biodiversity. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview
of the status of biodiversity conservation of the species
and to present the results of a 7 year project aimed at
the individuation and study of genetic diversity and
conservation of Castanea spp. germplasm.
Keywords Castanea Chestnut Conservation and
horticulture Ex situ conservation Germplasm
identification Piedmont Region
Introduction
Fagaceae (Cupuliferae) includes eight genera (Castanea, Castanopsis, Fagus, Lithocarpus, Nothofagus,
Quercus, Trigonobalanis, Chrysolepis) and about a
600–800 species. The genus Castanea is widespread
in the Boreal Hemisphere (Fig. 1) and includes 12 or
13 species according to classification (Table 1). The
natural distribution of the European chestnut (Castanea sativa) includes Europe and all of the Mediterranean countries. In Asia (China, Korea, Japan,
Vietnam) C. crenata, C. mollissima, C. seguinii,
C. henryi occur. In North America, C. dentata is
found between Ontario and Maine, along the Appalachian Mountain Range into Georgia and Alabama
(Camus 1929) and C. pumila is found in the southeastern states.
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Genet Resour Crop Evol (2012) 59:1727–1741
Fig. 1 Main areas of chestnut (Castanea spp.) distribution in the world a and in Europe b
Table 1 Origin and distribution of Castanea spp.
Origin
Section
Species
Common name
Orchards
Prevalent
use
Europe
Castanea
C. sativa Mill.
European or sweet
chestnut
Europe, Asia Minor,
North Africa
Nut, timber
Asia
Castanea
C. crenata Sieb. et Zucc.
Japanese chestnut
Japan, Korea
Nut
C. mollissima Blume
Chinese chestnut
China
Nut
China
Firewood
China
Firewood
China
Timber
North America
Timber
C. seguinii Dode
C. davidii Dode
Hypocastanon
America
Castanea
Balanocastanon
C. henryi (Skan) Rehd.
et E. H. Wils
C. dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.
Willow leaf or pearl
chestnut
American chestnut
C. pumila Mill. var. pumila
Allegheny chinkapin
Southeast USA
Nut
C. pumila Mill. var. ozarkensis
(Ashe) Tucker
Ozark chinkapin
USA (AR, MI, OK)
Timber
C. floridana (Sarg.) Ashe
Florida chinkapin
Southeast USA
Ornamental
C. ashei (Sudw.) Ashe
Ashe chinkapin
Southeast USA
Ornamental
C. alnifolia Nutt
Creeping chinkapin
Southern USA (AL–FL)
–
Southern USA (TX–LA)
–
C. paucispina Ashe
All species are diploids (x = 12; 2n = 24) (Jaynes
1962). The genus is taxonomically divided into 3
sections: Castanea, Balanocastanon, and Hypocastanon,
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but further revisions are expected (Johnson 1988) as a
result of new genetic studies, which contest the validity of
this classification (Santamour et al. 1986).
Genet Resour Crop Evol (2012) 59:1727–1741
Castanea species biodiversity is very wide, reflecting
the adaptation of the genus to different environmental
conditions. It shows variability for morphological and
ecological traits, vegetative and reproductive habits, nut
size, wood characteristics, adaptability, and resistance
to biotic and abiotic stresses, and the burden between
natural biodiversity and human selection is very weak
and sometimes unclear (Bounous and Beccaro 2002).
Species in the type section Castanea, which
includes the most economically important species,
display high genetic diversity. Different species are
found in very different pedoclimates, but they prefer
deep, soft, acidic soils (pH ranging from 4.0 to 6.5),
temperate climates, and rainfall ranging from 700 to
1,500 mm/year. The latitudinal distribution is related
to altitude.
At low latitudes chestnut trees are found above
1,500 m a.s.l., as on the slopes of Mount Etna in Italy
(Polacco 1938), on the Sierra Nevada in Spain, and in
Caucasus, where the species thrives at an elevation of
1,800 m (Fenaroli 1945).
Tree shape and form are variable. Castanea dentata
and C. sativa are upright, tall and slender trees, but
some species have smaller size, round foliage and
branches that start from the base. Other species are
dwarf shrubs.
Co-evolution between Castanea spp. biodiversity
and human populations has resulted in the spread of
rich and varied chestnut genetic diversity throughout
most of the world, especially in mountainous regions.
Yet, currently, 100s of ecotypes and varieties are at
risk of being lost due to a number of phytosanitary
problems (canker blight, Chryphonectria parasitica;
ink disease, Phytophthora spp; gall wasp, Dryocosmus
kuriphilus) and because of the many years of decline
and abandonment of chestnut cultivation (Sartor et al.
2009).
The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the
biodiversity of the species, and to present the results of a
7-year project aimed at the individuation, description
and conservation of Castanea spp. germplasm.
History and taxonomy
UPGMA analysis of isozyme-based genetic distance
estimates (Dane et al. 2003) and phylogenetic analysis
based on cpDNA sequence data (Lang et al. 2006)
suggest that Castanea species are geographically
structured. This is inconsistent with the current
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phylogeny based on cupule characteristics. The section Castanea appears to be paraphyletic with differentiation among species being best explained by their
current geographical ranges. C. crenata appears to be
the most basal taxa and sister to the remainder of
the genus. The three Chinese species [C. mollissima,
C. seguinii (Castanea) and C. henryi (Hypocastanon)]
are supported as a single monophyletic clade and sister
to a group containing the North American and
European species. There appears to be weak but
consistent support for a sister-group relationship
between the North American species and European
species.
The biogeographical history of the genus has been
inferred from cpDNA data and molecular clock theory
(Lang et al. 2007). A unique westward expansion of
extant Castanea species has been hypothesized with
Castanea originating in eastern Asia, followed by
intercontinental dispersion and divergence between
the Chinese and European/North American species
during the middle Eocene, followed by subsequent
divergence between the European and North American species during the late Eocene.
European species
Castanea sativa Mill. (European chestnut or sweet
chestnut)
The genus Castanea appeared at the end of Miocene
(15 million years ago) (Giordano 1993; Bounous et al.
2001) and its indicators (Cupuliferae dissemination)
include oak and beech. Leaves and one fossil chestnut
resembling European chestnut dating back to 8.5
million years ago were found in Coiron Massif, France
(Breisch 1995). During the quaternary era glaciations,
chestnut trees receded southwards (at the end of
Würmian glaciation).
In Europe, there were two taxa of chestnut:
C. sativa and C. latifolia Sord. (Paganelli 1997). At
the end of the last glaciation (Würmian), as pollen
charts demonstrated, only C. sativa survived. C. sativa
is now the only native species in Mediterranean and
Central European regions.
In Europe, C. sativa is found from Turkey to Portugal
and Spain. The Azores archipelago (25°–31°W) is the
most Occidental point for C. sativa and the Canary
Islands is the most Southern point (27°–29°N). Towards
the north, chestnut fruit production reaches 52°N latitude
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to the south of the United Kingdom, northern Germany,
Poland and Ukraine.
It is found at sea level in some littoral areas of the
northern Iberian peninsula, Calabria (39°N, 16°W) in
Italy and Thessalia (Middle Eastern Greece, 39°N,
22°100 W) and at up to 1,100 m in the highest
mountains of Trás-os-Montes (Northeast Portugal;
41°N, 07°W). However at lower latitudes the chestnut
grows at up to 1,500 m in Sierra Nevada (Granada,
Southern Spain; 37°N, 03°W) and on the slopes of
Etna in Sicily (37°N, 14°W) or even at up to 1,800 m
in the Caucasus Mountains (42°N, 42°W) (Bounous
2002a; Pereira-Lorenzo et al. 2001; Gomes-Laranjo
et al. 2007; Fernández De Ana Magán et al. 1997).
In South America, C. sativa was introduced into
Chile by European settlers at the beginning of the
nineteenth century. It is mainly to be found along the
Andes mountain range (34°S, 69°W–41°S, 72°W)
(Bounous 2002a).
Castanea sativa is a tall tree of majestic appearance; it is vigorous and can exceed 30 m height and
400 years of age. Some century-old trees measure
6–7 m in girth. The nut (10–30 g) has a white–cream
pulp and it can have pellicle intrusions into the kernel.
In Europe, the germplasm is very broad and the risk
of genetic erosion is high, mostly in marginal or
abandoned zones (Bounous et al. 2001; Pisani 1992).
Conservation of the most interesting genetic materials,
selected over centuries, is necessary to maintain
valuable biodiversity. There are hundreds of cultivar
names for chestnuts, many of which are synonyms or
homonyms (Botta et al. 2001).
Asian species
Castanea crenata Sieb. et Zucc. (Japanese chestnut)
Castanea crenata can be dated by fossil findings to the
middle of Jomon Civilization (1,000–4,000 BCE).
From its zone of origin it spread from Japan to Korea
and to Northeast China, and it was naturalized in South
Korea and in Taiwan (Tanaka et al. 2005).
The species has been cultivated in Central and
South Japan for 2,000 years. It can be found between
paddy fields and conifer forests, on fertile, recent
volcanic soils. The species is distributed throughout
the island (41°N, 141°W–31°N, 131°W), but it is
primarily cultivated at around 37°N latitude and it is
not found in the Okinawa region.
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It prefers a mild summer climate, not too cold in
winter, with high rainfall (1,200–1,400 mm/year) in
summer. On the southern Japanese Islands, where
there is abundant summer rain and mild winters,
C. crenata grows to 1,300 m a.s.l. It is not as cold
resistant as American and Chinese species (Rutter
et al. 1991) and early flowering makes it sensitive to
late spring frosts (Breisch 1995).
The tree does not normally exceed 8–10 m in height
but can reach 15 m, and 60 cm in diameter. The
adaxial side of leaves is dark-green and the abaxial
side is light green. Leaves are acute with strongly
marked edges, and leaf margins are crenate. Young
leaves have scattered, disk-shaped trichomes and have
long, protective, whitish pubescence on major veins
(Camus 1929).
The nuts of C. crenata vary greatly from tree to tree;
some are the largest in the genus and can weigh more
than 30 g. The hilum scar is very wide and reaches the
middle of the chestnut. They are not usually sweet, are
sometimes astringent, and have an adherent pellicle,
which is difficult to separate from the kernel (Tanaka
and Kotobuki 1992).
In France, C. crenata germplasm has been widely
used in breeding programs to obtain Phytophthoraresistant trees (Salesses et al. 1993).
Castanea mollissima Blume (Chinese Chestnut)
This species owes its name to the thick pubescence on
buds and on the abaxial side of the leaves. This is the
most widespread native species in China. C. mollissima grows in sub-tropical, temperate-continental, and
temperate-maritime regions with mild winters and hot
summers where rainfall is about 1,000 mm/year
(mostly in the summer).
Chinese chestnut has been recently introduced into
many countries for its plasticity and adaptability to
different pedoclimates.
Castanea mollissima thrives from 41°290 N latitude
in Jilin Province, close to Korea, to 18°310 N latitude
North of Hainan Island. It grows in Hebei and
Shandong, in the Yangtze Valley, from west to east
and in Sichuan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu and, in the
southwest, in Yunnan Province, close to the Vietnamese border. C. mollissima, along with C. crenata, is
also found in Korea: the former in northern Korea
(40°N, 126°W) while the latter is more frequently
Genet Resour Crop Evol (2012) 59:1727–1741
found in the southern Korean Peninsula (36°N,
127°W), which is the main production area (Kim
et al. 2005). It grows from 50 to 2,800 m a.s.l. in a
wide range of climatic conditions.
Many varieties and local ecotypes have been
described, of which about 50 are cultivated. They are
divided into six groups with different morphological,
physiological, horticultural, and geographical features. Interesting germplasm includes plants with burs
that turn red in early autumn, plants with hanging
branches, and some very precocious dwarf types (Liu
1993).
Castanea mollissima is a medium-sized tree: 12 m
tall and with trunk diameters of up to 75–80 cm. Leaf
serrations are large, irregular, not well pronounced,
and have a hairy, mucronate point. The adaxial leaf
surface is bright green, the abaxial surface is whitishgrey or velvet due to pubescence.
The nuts are round or elliptical and show a long
torch (the tip of the nut, formed by the remains of the
styles) covered by a thick, white-cream pubescence;
the pulp is very sweet, but not as sweet as the
American chestnut, and it is richer in proteins than the
Japanese and European species. The hilum scar is wide
but less developed than in C. crenata. Chestnuts show
thin, easy-to-peel pellicles (not invading the kernel);
kernels are sweet and ripen early. In the Northern
regions, chestnuts are small (\15 g), show bright
colour, and have a good, sweet taste. In subtropical
regions, the nuts of most cultivars are large (15–20 g)
with high starch content.
Castanea seguinii Dode
This small tree or shrub is scattered in subtropical
regions and in southwestern China. The very small
nuts (2–4 g) are harvested for nourishment by rural
people. Trees are periodically coppiced to produce
firewood. They have early flowering and continue to
flower throughout the bearing season until frost
(Bounous et al. 2001). Other genotypes, coming from
Jiangsu province, show shoots with 10–20 burs. The
reflowering feature appears to be regulated by two
recessive genes and early flowering depends on one
dominant gene (Jaynes 1962). Genetic diversity has
been studied through isoenzymes (Huang and Norton
1992) with the aim of finding compatible genotypes to
produce dwarf rootstocks.
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Castanea davidii Dode
Some authors consider C. davidii a variety of
C. seguinii based on the many affinities.
Castanea henryi (Skan) Rehd. et E. H. Wils
Known as the willow leaved chestnut, or pearl
chestnut, the species is native to the warm temperate
subtropical climates of China. It grows along the
Yangtze River Valley and in southern regions. It is
cultivated for timber in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces.
Castanea henryi is a forest species that grows
rapidly with upright (slender) trunk, over 30 m tall.
The chestnuts (1 per bur) are small (3–6 g) and
marketed to some extent.
North American species
Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh. (American
chestnut)
Castanea dentata grew in Long Island 30,000–
50,000 years ago, as evidenced by pollen dating back
to the last inter-glacial periods. It is native to the
eastern United States and Canada and it spread from
Ontario and Maine (on the Appalachian Range, 47°N,
66°W–32°N, 87°W) to Georgia and Alabama, where it
was long a dominant species. Its natural range once
covered more than 200 million acres from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico (Rosengarten 1984).
It grows rapidly, with an upright, slender trunk that can
exceed 30 m in height and has a diameter of 3 m or
more.
The destruction of C. dentata by canker blight,
Cryphonectria parasitica, was the greatest disaster in
the history of forest pathology (Roane et al. 1986;
Anagnostakis 1987). The canker, first identified in
New York in 1904 at the Bronx Zoological Park, led to
the complete removal of the species from the forest
canopy. West of the native range it is possible to find
adult trees that escaped the blight.
Castanea dentata is the most cold resistant species
of the genus. Northern zone genotypes can survive to
-35°C (Ashworth 1964).
Stems are small, sharp, brown and hairless. Leaves
are similar in shape and dimension to C. sativa, and are
generally hairless, sometimes having just a few hairs
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on the mid-vein, and thin. Nuts are sweet, not
astringent, and very small with a thin pellicle which
is easily removed from the kernel.
Castanea pumila (L.) Mill.
This polymorphic species is divided into two botanical
varieties: C. pumila var. pumila (Allegheny chinkapin)
and C. pumila var. ozarkensis (Ashe) Tucker (Ozark
chinkapin) (Johnson 1987). Other authors include
C. floridana and C. alnifolia into C. pumila. It is native
in the United States from the east and southeast to the
Ozark mountains of Arkansas and to Missouri and
Oklahoma (Camus 1929). Chinkapin tree shapes can
be bushy (pumila), creeping (with some reported to be
stoloniferous) or 20 m tall (ozarkensis) (Pardo 1978;
Johnson 1988).
A high variability of leaf form, size and colour has
been observed in the same plant. Burs are small
(1–5 cm in diameter) with soft thorns. They remain on
the branches and contain a single nut, sometimes
remaining all winter long. These sweet and tasty
chestnuts are very small (1 g).
Genet Resour Crop Evol (2012) 59:1727–1741
Materials and methods
Within the framework of different research projects
begun at the beginning of the twenty-first Century, the
individuation, study of genetic diversity and conservation of Castanea spp. germplasm is still in progress
at the Department of Arboriculture of the University of
Turin (Italy). The aim of the research is to collect,
identify, describe and preserve ex situ the germplasm
of Castanea spp. in order to provide additional
strategies to complement current efforts to protect
the species.
Through collaboration with many international
research Institutions, to date more than 300 ancient
trees, representative of chestnut genetic variability,
have been individuated in different areas of Europe,
Asia and USA. Each tree was numbered and localized
by GPS in order to obtain a detailed cartography and
genetic material (scions) was collected from each tree
in order to realize a collection field in North West
Italy.
Morphological and phenological observations
Castanea floridana Ashe (Sarg.)
This is a decorative bushy plant native to the
southeastern US from FL to TX, where it is known
as Florida chinkapin. It can be 6–7 m high. The nuts
(1 per bur) are very small, and the plants flower much
later in the season than C. pumila.
Castanea ashei (Sudw.) Ashe
Ashe chinkapin is a 6–7 m tall tree scattered throughout NC, GA and FL.
Castanea alnifolia Nutt
Shrub or creeping chinkapin is a creeping shrub
(30–60 cm) originating in southern US, from AL to FL.
Castanea paucispina Ashe
The distribution area of this creeping shrub
(30–60 cm) includes TX and LA.
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Leaves, flowers and nuts of analyzed cultivars were
sampled in situ and ex situ in the collection field.
Through direct observation, or published information,
when available, phenological (bud break, times of
male and female flowering, harvesting date) and
morphological traits (shape of the leaf; morphology
of the flower; nut size; nut stripes; nut colour through
colorimetric analysis; percentage of double fruits;
kernel quality; pellicle adhesion) were used to characterize the genotypes (Breviglieri 1955; Bounous
2002a; Beccaro et al. 2005, 2009).
Nut descriptors are very useful for understanding
the presumed traditional uses of a variety, but
phenological and morphological observations are not
considered effective enough for genotype identification, being subject to environmental and developmental factors, and they may not be enough to individuate
homonymous and synonymous among the different
genotypes. Therefore the accessions are characterized
both by phenological and morphological analysis
conducted in situ and ex situ and by microsatellite
markers (SSR).
Genet Resour Crop Evol (2012) 59:1727–1741
Molecular analysis
Samples of young fresh leaves are collected in spring
for molecular analysis; DNA analysis is successfully
performed by multiplex analysis of seven microsatellite loci isolated in C. sativa (Marinoni et al. 2003;
Botta et al. 2001) and Quercus petraea (Steinkellner
et al. 1997; Casasoli et al. 2006; Goulao et al. 2001;
Marinoni et al. 2003; Buck et al. 2003; Yamamoto
et al. 2003): CsCAT-1, -8, -14, -15, -16, -17, and -41.
Loci were chosen based on the ease of allele scoring,
multiplexing ability, and their linkage group assignment (Barreneche et al. 2004). PCR is performed in
20 ll reaction volumes containing 50 ng of DNA, 0.5
Units of AmpliTaq DNA polymerase (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA), 2 ll of GeneAmp
109 PCR buffer (100 mM Tris–HCl pH 8.3, 500 mM
KCl), 1 ll of 10% Bovine Albumin Serum (BSA),
1.5 mM MgCl2, 0.2 mM dNTPs, 0.5 lM labelled
forward primer and 0.5 lM reverse primer. The
forward primers are labelled with a fluorochrome
(6-FAM, HEX or NED).
Samples are analysed on an ABI 3130 capillary
sequencer (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA,
USA). Data is processed by the GeneMapper Software
4.0 (Applied Biosystems) and alleles defined by their
size (in bp), compared with the standard, GeneScan500 LIZ.
Genetic relationships among the accessions were
investigated by UPGMA cluster analysis.
Ex situ conservation
The realization of a germplasm collection field of
chestnut genetic diversity is in progress. Vegetal
material is collected from each mother-tree and
grafted into a collection field (3 plants for each
accession) located at the Chestnut Regional Repository in Chiusa Pesio, Cuneo Province (North Western
Italy), on the border with France (44°190 N; 7°400 E;
575 m a.s.l.). The area has a typical temperate climate
and is largely given over to chestnut culture. It is in the
phytoclimatic transition zone of ‘‘cold Castanetum’’
and ‘‘hot Fagetum’’, according to Mayr–Pavari’s
classification (De Philippis 1937) which identifies five
phytoclimatic zones by means of the dominant tree
species. Soils are made of river deposits, with a high
concentration of sand and the actual soil depth
(between 30 and 60 cm) is limited because of coarse
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gravel (Tani et al. 2007). Currently 5 hectares are
given over to the Castanea arboretum. The collection
field was created with an 8 9 11.50 m planting layout,
in order to use the arboretum both for scientific
research and for landscape and tourist activities.
Results and discussion
Morphological and phenological observations
The main passport data for 105 ecotypes and varieties
are shown in Table 2. Very high variability within the
same genotype and among different genotypes is
observed. Ecotypes and varieties are classified in
longistaminate (e.g. Solenga), mesostaminate, brachistaminate (e.g. Pelosa) and astaminate (e.g. Neirana,
Marrone and Gioviasca), depending on the catkin flower
morphology. Morphological observations of leaves
(Fig. 2) and flowers (Fig. 3) as well as phenological
observations do not yield relevant differences that were
able to separate one genotype from the others. Nut
descriptors are also not particularly effective in discriminating among the accessions (Table 3; Fig. 4).
However, very wide biodiversity is observed among the
different genotypes (Fig. 5). One of the most important
nut descriptors is the mono-embryonic versus polyembryonic. Mono-embryonic nuts were named ‘‘marroni’’ type in Italy in the Middle Ages. Genotypes
producing poly-embryonic nuts were named chestnut
type. In Europe, most genotypes produce mono-embryonic nuts and some of them are ‘‘marroni’’ type (Breisch
1995; Bounous et al. 2001; Pereira-Lorenzo et al. 2006).
In the past, many botanists tried to describe
chestnut genotypes through the definition of morphological descriptors. However, because of the plasticity
of the species, a morphological descriptor able to
separate each different variety from another has not
been individuated.
The botanist Pier Antonio Micheli (1679–1737)
[Enumeratio rariorum plantarum (Manoscr.)], (cited
by Breviglieri 1955) was the first to describe chestnut
varieties based on their bur, fruit, leaf and flower
characteristics. Later, about 300 varieties were classified by region and harvesting time in Italy Piccioli
(1922), and Remondino (1926) referenced nearly
1,000 denominations, many of them synonymous.
Breviglieri (1955) established the base descriptors for
chestnuts that are used today. Solignat and Chapa
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Table 2 Castanea accessions in collection in the chestnut regional repository of Chiusa Pesio (Italy)
Species
Country
Region
Allegheny chinkapin
C. pumila var. pumila
USA
Eastern North America
Arizinca
C. sativa
France
Corse
Bastarda Rossa
Belle Epine
C. sativa
C. sativa
Italy
France
Tuscany
Dordogne
/
Bouche de Bétizac
C. sativa 9 C. crenata
France
Bouche Rouge
C. sativa
France
Ardèche
Bracalla
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Brunette
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
C. dentata
C. dentata
USA
Eastern North America
Capannaccia
C. sativa
Italy
Tuscany
Carigliettara
C. sativa
Italy
Calabria
Castagna dei 100 Cavalli
C. sativa
Italy
Sicilia
Castagna della Madonna
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Castagna di Canepina
C. sativa
Italy
Tuscany
Cecio
C. sativa
Italy
Tuscany
Cesarucca
C. sativa
Italy
Tuscany
Châtaigne de Laguepie
C. sativa
France
Sud Est France
Colossal
C. sativa 9 C. crenata
USA
Eastern North America
Contessa
Dorée de Lyon
C. sativa
C. sativa
Italy
France
Piedmont
Central-west France
Ederra
C. sativa 9 C. crenata
Spain/France
Pais Vasco
Epinerere
C. sativa
Italy
Aosta Valley
Gabiana
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Garrone nero
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Garrone Rosso
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Gentile
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Gioviasca
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Grossulee
C. sativa
Italy
Aosta Valley
Gynyose
C. crenata
Japan
Japan, Korea, Northeast China, Taiwan
Hakury
C. crenata
Japan
Japan, Korea, Northeast China, Taiwan
Herria
C. sativa
Spain
Pais Vasco
Idae
C. mollissima 9 C. crenata
Korea
/
Injerta
C. sativa
Spain
/
Ipharra
Ishyzuki early
C. sativa 9 C. crenata
C. crenata
Spain/France
Japan
Pais Vasco
Japan, Korea, Northeast China, Taiwan
Ishyzuki late
C. crenata
Japan
Japan, Korea, Northeast China, Taiwan
Janfau
C. sativa
Portugal/Spain
Padrela
Judia
C. sativa
Portugal/Spain
Padrela
Longal
C. sativa
Portugal/Spain
Terra fria
Lusenta
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Mansa
C. sativa
Spain
Canary Islands
Maraval
C. sativa 9 C. crenata
France
/
Maridonne
C. sativa 9 C. crenata
France
/
Marigoule
C. sativa 9 C. crenata
France
/
123
Genet Resour Crop Evol (2012) 59:1727–1741
1735
Table 2 continued
Species
Country
Region
Marissard
C. sativa 9 C. crenata
France
/
Marky
C. sativa 9 C. crenata
France
/
Marron Comballe
Marron de Goujounac
C. sativa
C. sativa
France
France
Ardèche
Ardèche
Marron de Redon
C. sativa
France
Ardèche
Marron d’Olargue
C. sativa
France
Hérault
Marron Sauvage
C. sativa
France
Ardèche
Marrone Caprese Michelangelo
C. sativa
Italy
Tuscany
Marrone della Garfagnana
C. sativa
Italy
Tuscany
Marrone dell’Etna
C. sativa
Italy
Sicily
Marrone di Castel del Rio
C. sativa
Italy
Emilia Romagna
Marrone di Castione
C. sativa
Italy
Trentino Alto Adige
Marrone di Gemonio
C. sativa
Italy
Lombardia
Marrone di Marradi IGP
C. sativa
Italy
Tuscany
Marrone di Roccamonfina
C. sativa
Italy
Campania
Marrone di San Mauro Saline
C. sativa
Italy
Veneto
Marrone di Segni
C. sativa
Italy
Latium
Marrone di Val Susa
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Marrone di Viterbo
Marrone di Zocca
C. sativa
C. sativa
Italy
Italy
Latium
Emilia Romagna
Marrone Ossola
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Marrone Pellice
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Marrubia
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Marrubia Susa
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
/
Marsol
C. sativa 9 C. crenata
France
Montagne
C. sativa
France
Dordogne
Monte Arso ecot. 3
C. sativa
Italy
Sicily
Monte Scarello ecot. 2
C. sativa
Italy
Sicily
Negral
C. sativa
Portugal
Padrela
Neirana
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Neirana Susa
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Nouzillard
C. sativa
Spain
Pais Vasco
Pelosa
C. sativa
Spain
Canary Islands
Pelosora
Pontecosa Garfagnana
C. sativa
C. sativa
Italy
Italy
Tuscany
Tuscany
Precoce de Vans
C. sativa
France
Dordogne, Lot, Cantal
Precoce di Brignola
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Precoce Migoule
C. sativa 9 C. crenata
France
/
Primato
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Primitiva di Roccamonfina
C. sativa
Italy
Campania
Riggiola
C. sativa
Italy
Calabria
Rossane
C. sativa
Italy
Aosta Valley
Rossolino
C. sativa
Italy
Tuscany
Rouffinette
C. sativa
Italy
Aosta Valley
123
1736
Genet Resour Crop Evol (2012) 59:1727–1741
Table 2 continued
Species
Country
Region
Rousse de Nay
C. sativa
France
Dordogne, Lot, Cantal
Rubiera
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Ruiana
Sardonne
C. sativa
C. sativa
Italy
France
Piedmont
Dordogne, Lot, Cantal
Savoye
C. sativa
France
Dordogne, Lot, Cantal
Selvaschina
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Selvaschina ecotype 2
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Servaj ‘d l’oca
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Solenga
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Tarvisò
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Tempuriva
C. sativa
Italy
Piedmont
Torcione Nero
C. sativa
Switzerland
Ticino
Toumive
C. sativa
France
Dordogne, Lot, Cantal
Tsukuba
C. crenata
Japan
Japan, Korea, Northeast China, Taiwan
Verdale
C. sativa
France
Dordogne, Lot, Cantal
Vignols
C. crenata 9 C. sativa
France
Dordogne, Lot, Cantal
Yeuillaz
C. sativa
Italy
Aosta Valley
Fig. 2 Leaf morphology in
a C. sativa, Marrone di
Chiusa Pesio, b C. sativa,
Monte Arso ecotype 2,
c C.mollissima 9
C. crenata, Idae,
d C. dentata
(1975) described French cultivars, and classified them
into main or local interest. Those descriptions were
updated by Bergougnoux et al. (1978) but focused on
clonal selection of the main cultivars, and included
123
hybrids used in the new plantations mixed with
European chestnut, as in Cevennes.
Though the cultivation of chestnuts in Switzerland
has mostly been abandoned, some cultivars were
Genet Resour Crop Evol (2012) 59:1727–1741
1737
Fig. 3 Male flower morphology a astaminate (Marroni ecotypes), b brachistaminate, c mesostaminate, d longistaminate
Table 3 Morphological data of five important Piedmont chestnut cultivars
Cultivar
Medium
weight (g)
Colour of the nut
L
a
b
Length
(mm)
Width
(mm)
Thickness
(mm)
Ilo length
(mm)
Ilo width
(mm)
Neirana
9.66a
29.4d
9.8b
4.67c
28.86ab
30.96b
18.22bc
20.8bc
11.08ab
Gioviasca
9.54a
31.03bc
12.6a
7.06b
28.03b
30.48b
19.77ab
19.52c
10.29bc
Solenga
4.96c
32.9a
12.78a
9.5a
24.52c
25.62c
16.15c
20.74bc
9.91c
Pelosa
6.84b
31.78ab
12.58a
8.88a
25.84c
27.48c
11d
22.68a
10.96ab
30cd
12.92a
6.96b
30.12a
36.56a
21.56a
22.04ab
11.24a
Marrone
10.6a
Different letters for each cultivar indicate the significant differences at P \ 0.05
length
width
thickness
40
a
35
30
b
b
ab
a
b
c
25
20
bc
c
c
c
a
ab
c
15
d
10
5
0
Neirana
Gioviasca
Solenga
Pelosa
Marrone
Fig. 4 Width, length, thickness of five important Piedmont
chestnut cultivars (mm)
localised and described by Conedera et al. (1993),
Conedera et al. (2004) and Gobbin et al. (2007).
In Spain, Elorrieta (1949) was the first to report on
Spanish cultivars. In 1996, the first inventory for
Galician cultivars in North-western Spain was published, presenting the variability and a description of
the local varieties (Pereira-Lorenzo et al. 1996a, b,
2006). These studies were extended to other important
areas for nut production such as Asturias, Castile and
León, Extremadura, Andalucı́a and the Canary Islands
(Pereira-Lorenzo et al. 2001; Ramos-Cabrer and
Pereira-Lorenzo 2005).
123
1738
Genet Resour Crop Evol (2012) 59:1727–1741
Fig. 5 a The Châtaigne de
Laguepie (France) present
large, mono-embryonic
nuts, once selected for fresh
consumption, b the Italian
ecotype Ruiana was once
used for animal feed
Molecular analysis
The reading of the profiles is clear most of the time and
the amplification of all loci is always well balanced,
with peaks of approximately the same height. So far,
the most polymorphic loci have been CsCAT1,
CsCAT16 and QpZAG110. The number of alleles
totaled 59 and ranged from 6 to 11 per locus, with an
average of 8.4. The loci with high numbers of alleles
were CsCAT1 (10 alleles) and CsCAT41 (11 alleles).
Expected heterozygosity (He) averaged 0.77 and
ranged from 0.65 (for CsCAT15) to 0.85 (for
CsCAT17), while observed heterozygosity (Ho) averaged 0.89 and ranged from 0.73 (for CsCAT16) to 1.00
(for CsCAT17). The estimated frequency of null
alleles (r) was a positive value for locus CsCAT 16
(0.019). The total probability of identity at all loci was
2.99 9 10-8, thus cultivars with identical genotypes
were considered synonyms.
The results obtained in our set of accessions showed
that microsatellite loci detected considerable polymorphism and confirmed that these markers are
suitable for fingerprinting chestnut cultivars. The
Table 4 Characteristics of 7 SSR loci in analyzed genotypes
Locus
Allele size
range (bp)
Na
He
Ho
r
CsCAT-1
186–222
10
0.79
0.92
-0.077
CsCAT-8
178–227
8
0.77
0.97
-0.112
CsCAT-14
133–162
6
0.71
0.92
-0.123
CsCAT-15
121–159
7
0.65
0.84
-0.116
CsCAT-16
118–150
8
0.77
0.73
0.019
CsCAT-17
130–161
9
0.85
1.00
-0.081
CsCAT-41
198–235
11
0.83
0.87
-0.024
Na number of alleles, He expected heterozigosity, Ho observed
heterozigosity, r frequency of null allele
123
polymorphism and discriminant power of each locus
were evaluated on the basis of number of alleles,
expected and observed heterozygosity (Table 4). The
mean values of these parameters were comparable to
obtained in chestnut by Marinoni et al. (2003) and
Gobbin et al. (2007). All loci analysed are highly
polymorphic and thus particularly suitable for DNA
typing of chestnut cultivars.
The combined profiles across the 7 SSR loci show
the presence of a total of 105 different genotypes:
many synonymous varieties were found, especially
among the Italian ecotypes and varieties of Marroni
(e.g. Marrone di Gemonio, Marrone di Roccamonfina,
Marrone di Castel del Rio, Marrone Caprese Michelangelo, Marrone di San Mauro Saline, Marrone di
Segni, Marrone Val Susa and Marrone di Zocca have
the same genetic profile). This indicates the existence
of substantial genetic uniformity within some cultivated varieties but also the possibility of a polyclonal
origin for some of the cultivated varieties; a second
option is that individual species showing a genotype
different from the norm may belong to another variety
or ecotype, which has not yet been analysed, and are
simply cases of misnaming.
Cluster analysis performed for the 36 most important accessions produced an UPGMA dendrogram
depicting the genetic relationships within the studied
accessions (Fig. 6). Gabiana and Travisò accessions
were grouped in cluster I. Almost all accessions named
Marrone clustered whit most Italian cultivars in the
large cluster II. The interesting data observed was the
existence of a unique genetic profile among these
Marroni accessions that are cultivated in different
Italian regions. Finally, all Euro-Japanese hybrids
analysed, except Bouche de Bétizac, were placed in
group III together with some C. sativa accessions.
Genet Resour Crop Evol (2012) 59:1727–1741
1739
Gabiana
Travisò
Marrone Gemonio
Marrone Roccamonfina
Marrone Castel del Rio
M. Caprese Michelangelo
Marrone San Mauro
Marrone Segni
Marrone Val Susa
Monte Zocca
Contessa
Bouche de Bètizac
Verdeisa
Pugnenga
Bracalla
Neirana
Primitiva Roccamonfina
Grossulee
Yeuillaz
Ruiana
Rossera
Castagno 100 cavalli
Canepina
Tempuriva
Madonna - Lazio
Capannaccia Garfa
gnana
Monte Scarello 2
Monte Arso 3
Marrone Etna
Colossal
Bonosora Garfagnana
Pontecosa Garfagnana
Peiosoia
Precoce Migoule
Maraval
Marigoule
I
II
III
0
Fig. 6 UPGMA dendrogram of 36 chestnut accessions based on alleles at 7 SSR loci
Various studies (Botta et al. 2001, Marinoni et al.
2003) have demonstrated the usefulness of microsatellite (SSR) analysis in discriminating between
genotypes. Both approaches—morphological and
molecular—are considered useful in characterising
some aspects of the germplasm (Beccaro et al. 2009),
however differing information is given from the
results.
Ex situ conservation
The DNA results confirm that in one site alone a huge
amount of still to be implemented Castanea spp.
Biodiversity has been amassed. To date, more than
300 Castanea spp. trees have been grafted into the
arboretum with accessions coming from all over the
world. The arboretum currently includes several
European ecotypes and cultivars from Italy, Portugal,
Spain (including the Canary Islands), France and
Switzerland, and accessions from the USA, China, and
Japan. The collection also includes 17 Euro-Japanese
hybrids (C. sativa 9 C. crenata) obtained from
different countries. The majority of hybrids were
obtained from in France in the ‘80s, by INRA (Institut
National de la Récherche Agronomique) in order to
create ink disease and canker blight resistant
genotypes (Bounous et al. 2001) and are actually used
both on ‘‘their own roots’’ or as rootstocks for superior
varieties. On the one hand, hybridization increases the
commercial viability of the species, thus increasing
the amount of material grown and ‘‘safeguarding’’
Castanea spp. germplasm taken in general. However,
it also has the potentially negative effect of genetically
contaminating native populations (coppices).
According to the convention on biological diversity
(CBD) signed in 1992, which gave ownership of
biodiversity to national governments and required
equitable benefit sharing for commercial use of
biodiversity with the country of origin, the aim of
the arboretum is to promote Castanea conservation by
putting a value on biodiversity. As the arboretum will
give the next generation of researchers a new opportunity to further assess the genetic variability of the
species, genetic material will be provided to growers
and nurseries on request, in order to improve the role
of horticulture in the conservation of resources.
Future plans include increasing the number of
genotypes in the arboretum, including important areas
still not represented, such as Turkey and Greece, and
establishing networks with other germplasm collections, e.g. the National Chestnut Germplasm Repository of China (Li Guo-tian et al. 2009).
123
1740
Conclusions
In the past, the high horticultural value of many
Castanea spp. genotypes allowed the biodiversity of
the species to be maintained by the human populations, representing an excellent case for the intersection of conservation and horticulture. However, today
all the Castanea species have serious conservation
problems and despite the current efforts to protect
them, their genetic variability is critically endangered.
The creation of the arboretum and similar initiatives carried out by other international Institutes
represent the first step in stopping the loss of
biodiversity; however, more research efforts are still
needed to fully implement the different strategies
already applied in the conservation of Castanea
species.
Acknowledgments Funding for field and laboratory work was
provided by the Piedmont Region. The Chestnut Regional
Repository in Chiusa Pesio is hosted and maintained by the
Gambarello Regional Nursery at Chiusa Pesio (CN).
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