Dec 3, 2005 - Albania is the heartland of many cultivars belonging to Prunus in the ... (1990â2000) and also because of virus diseases such as sharka (Myrta ...
European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources
ECP GR
Report of a Working Group on Prunus
Sixth Meeting, 20-21 June 2003, Budapest, Hungary Seventh Meeting, 1-3 December 2005, Larnaca, Cyprus L. Maggioni and E. Lipman, compilers
IPGRI and INIBAP operate under the name Bioversity International Supported by the CGIAR
PRESENTATIONS AND PAPERS
29
Status of Prunus germplasm in Albania Adriatik Çakalli1, Ilir Çiçi2, Endrit Kullaj3 and Arben Myrta4 Albanian Genebank, National Seed and Seedling Institute, Tirana, Albania Trees Institute, Tirana Experimental Station, Tirana, Albania 3 Department of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Agricultural University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania 4 Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes (CIHEAM), Bari, Italy 1
2 Fruit
Introduction Plant genetic resources are one of Albania’s greatest reserves of natural wealth. They are very important for the Albanian people, not only on the material level but also at the ethnocultural and spiritual levels. Climatic conditions here are very favourable for the cultivation of many plant species and horticulture represents one of the main sectors of the agricultural economy. Albania is the heartland of many cultivars belonging to Prunus in the South-East of the Balkans. These cultivars have been adapted to modern agroecosystems through continuous natural and human selection, and because of their productive and quality values they can compete with many introduced cultivars. There is evidence for the very old tradition of cultivation in the terms used to designate different varieties (e.g: dhamoshqime or vardare, pistilke or miraboliana for plums, ujse, krisje or belica for cherries, etc.). This rich diversity of cultivars and biotypes is spread out over the country and many of the cultivars are particularly well adapted to local soil and climate conditions (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. Main cultivation areas of Prunus in Albania.
30
REPORT OF A WORKING GROUP ON PRUNUS
From this large number of cultivars, those with inferior qualities have not resisted the test of time and have consequently disappeared (or are gradually disappearing) because of the extraordinary amount of genetic erosion which took place during the transition period (1990–2000) and also because of virus diseases such as sharka (Myrta et al. 1996; Çakalli 1999), while others, those with superior qualities, are still in demand on the local market. Prunus germplasm Horticulture in Albania is based on the cultivation of both native and foreign varieties (Osmani et al. 1996). The stone fruit industry is characterized by a considerable number of native varieties, mainly of plum (Prunus domestica) and cherry (P. avium) but also peach (P. persicae), apricot (P. armeniaca) and almond (P. dulcis). The cultivar ‘Tropojane’ alone represents more than 50% of plum trees and is cultivated both for fresh consumption and for dried prunes (Shqau et al. 1989). Other important native plum varieties are cvs. ‘Kumbulla e Hasit’, ‘Shengjine’, ‘Çifte Elbasani’, ‘Kumbull Vlonjate’, ‘Vardare’ (Dhamoshqine), ‘Shqerake’ (Miraboliana), ‘Pistilka’ and ‘Gusie’. Some varieties’ names refer to their particular fruit characteristics or to their geographical origin, e.g. cv. ‘Tropojane’ is named after the original area of cultivation. Cherry accessions are mostly represented by ‘Zhitoma’, Zeza e Luznisë’, ‘Dollmas’, ‘Petrela’, ‘Ndroq’, etc. Among peaches, the most important local cultivars are ‘Tapiza’, ‘Shklese Mishbardhë’, ‘Shklese Mishverdhë’, ‘Shatore’, ‘Sefa’, ‘Mishe’, etc.; while for apricot, important accessions are ‘Goxhasi’, ‘Ganiu’, ‘Fatmiri’, etc. Important accessions are also found for almond like ‘Gujadëholla e Frakullës’, ‘Gujadëkuqja’, ‘Melçani’, ‘Nr.17’, ‘Çesku’, ‘Stambollesha’, Zhitoma’, etc. Many of the native cultivars present in Albania (geographically distributed in all the Prunus areas of the country) call for attention because they constitute an essential genetic resource which is very precious for hybridization work and for stone fruit breeding. The following species are found in Albania: P. domestica, P. spinosa L., P. cerasifera Ehrh., P. cocomilia Ten., P. avium L., P. cerasus L., P. mahaleb L., P. persicae (L.) Batsch., P. armeniaca L. and P. dulcis. Because of the unjustifiable preference for foreign cultivars and the degraded sanitary status of Prunus at present, native cultivars are not currently very much appreciated and the percentage of native cultivars compared to the total number of varieties is decreasing. There is an immediate need for their preservation. National collections Prunus collections in Albania can be found both at research institutes and on private farms. Efforts to explore the Prunus native germplasm in Albania from the Fruit Science Institute in Vlora, which is responsible for the collection and maintenance of fruit trees in Albania, has found so far many important accessions (Table 1). This collection is made up of foreign cultivars only, while the native plum varieties are so far found only in private farmers’ orchards. As yet there is no national collection of native varieties. Despite the attempts of the Albanian genebank to collaborate with other research institutes to collect and maintain Prunus and other stone fruits in Albania, a great amount of work is still needed in this area. Attention should be given to the following problems: - Degraded sanitary status of trees due to the presence of various viruses, - Lack of adequate funds for the work of exploration, collecting and storage of native varieties, - Unfair competition with other uncertified fruit tree seedlings entering the country at lower prices,
PRESENTATIONS AND PAPERS
-
31
Urban migration which decreases the care given on farms to the native cultivars, Lack of awareness at the farmers’ level regarding the benefits of cultivating native cultivars or establishing new collections, difficulties in finding incentives for the farmers to maintain the local material, etc.
Table 1. The Prunus accessions in Albania Section / germplasm
No. of accessions*
Section A: Plum Shengjine 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Mirabolana L, Mirabolana G, Mirabolana B, Vardare Fatmirit, Vardare Xhevitit, Vardare Nikolles, Vardare Roze, Argjile, Mirabolan e kuqe, Mirabolan e verdhe, Çifte Elbasani, Oshafja, Shengjine Timit, Shengjine Ismailit
21
Section B: Cherry Petrela, Ndroqi, Zeza Fatmirit, Mezhdralle, Vishnja Ollges, Zhitome, Dollmasi, Kokermadhe zeze, Vonta tregut, Xhakrosa, Zeza Luznise, Ujse verdhe, Ujse kuqe, Ohje, Bukje, Ujse e zeze, E zeza
17
Section C: Peach Sefes, Tapiza No. 1, Qeraxhiasi, Pjeshka Nr. 1, 2, Qereka, Shpetimit, Shefqetit
8
Section D: Apricot Goxhasit, Fatmirit, Ganiut, Ajetit, Godoleshit, Mishe, Bajramit
7
6 Section E: Almond Stambollesha, Melçanit, Guackekuqja, Frakulles, Lapraka Nr.1, 2. * It should be noted that these accessions represent only part of the potential ones, as the exploration work is far from being considered as exhaustive.
Future efforts More attention should obviously be given to the Prunus crops in preservation and utilization programmes, especially for the exploration and conservation of native varieties which should be undertaken immediately and be followed and sustained by on-farm conservation. Major activities should include: - Maintenance of the existing collections, - Intensification of collecting missions for the best native varieties of plums, cherries and for other Prunus species (peaches, apricots and almonds), - Undertaking of joint regional studies for clonal and phytosanitary selection, - Breeding (sexual hybridization) especially with the Chinese-Japanese group and French Mirabelles in the case of plums, - Establishment of new collections in the appropriate areas of cultivation, and - Investment to solve the constraints due to the lack of funds.
References Çakalli, A. 1999. Sanitary assessment of Albanian olive and stone fruit varieties. Master Thesis, CIHEAM, Bari, Italy. Myrta, A., B. di Terlizzi, M. Digiaro and V. Savino. 1996. Viruses of stone fruits in Albania. Bulletin OEPP/EPPO Bulletin 26:141-146. Osmani, R., T. Koka and I. Çiçi. 1996. Distribution of fruit trees cultivation in Albania. Pemtaria 2:37-41 (in Albanian). Shqau, L., R. Osmani and J. Selimi. 1989. Fruit trees. Text book, Agricultural University of Tirana.
ISBN-13: 978-92-9043-732-1 ISBN-10: 92-9043-732-4
