Triticale in Italy

Abstract

Triticale is currently grown throughout the world with a wider diffusion in Europe, with Poland, Belarus, Germany, France and Spain as major producers. Although triticale occupies a very small fraction of the Italian cultivated land (16,000 ha of harvested area, mean value of the past 5 years), a continuous interest for this crop and its possible uses explains the work and progress made by breeding activities in different periods. The aim of this review is to report some experiences related to the cultivation of triticale in Italy. A general long-term view of the performance of triticale varieties in Italy has been distilled from a large amount of data derived from the pluri-decennial Italian national variety trials network. This activity, historically coordinated by CREA-GB, extends over several decades and examines the agronomic performance, in different Italian environments, of the most widespread and emerging varieties of triticale. Indications on new breeding targets can be deduced from the elaborations in the frame of both climatic change and market demands.

Keywords: breeding; certified seeds; triticale varieties; varietal recommended lists.

Figure 1

Spikes of the Oceania cultivar.

Figure 2

Production of certified triticale seeds in Italy (kt). The data are provided by CREA-DC (Difesa e Certificazione), formerly ENSE, Italy [15].

Figure 3

Cultivation areas (A) and production (B) in the five macro areas of Northwest Italy, Northeast Italy, Central Italy, Sothern Italy, Sicily and Sardinia. Mean values of the past three years are reported [18].

Figure 4

Dry biomass yield values at milky-wax maturity in triticale varieties and advanced breeding lines evaluated in Fiorenzuola d’Arda experimental field. The experiment was performed using a completely randomized block design, with 4 replicated blocks applying standard local agronomic practices.

Figure 5

Triticale grain yield in the northern, central and southern test sites of the Italian national yield trials. The curves show yield averaged across cultivars and sites within the three geographic zones. The results of the trials are published with the annual Special Issue on minor cereals in the journal Informatore Agrario in the Italian language.

Figure 6

F_v/F_m, indicator of freezing damage to PSII, measured after freezing stress at −14 °C and 48 h of recovery under acclimation conditions. The values reported are the means of seven biological replicates. Red bars stand for two barley varieties used as references. A ratio of 0.7 to 0.8 is the optimal value measured in fully recovered leaves, with lower values indicating plant stress.