In questo lavoro è stata condotta la caratterizzazione genetico-molecolare di circa 100 accessioni di olivo campionate in diverse località del Salento. L'obiettivo è stato la caratterizzazione, mediante marcatori molecolari (microsatelliti), di varietà autoctone del Salento a rischio di erosione genetica, e di altre varietà di olivo che, seppure di diversa origine geografica, risultano coltivate nel territorio salentino.

In questo lavoro ci siamo occupati del recupero del germoplasma olivicolo salentino ancora presente in provincia di Lecce, ma a forte rischio di erosione genetica. In particolare, abbiamo studiato il profilo molecolare di varietà antiche, quali: Colozzese, Barone di Monteprofico, Ornella, Usciana, Cornola, Uliva grossa, e di diversi cloni delle cultivar autoctone più diffuse sul territorio, ovvero Cellina di Nardò e Ogliarola di Lecce. Tutte le varietà analizzate in questo studio sono conservate in un campo collezione allestito negli anni '90 in agro di Carpignano salentino.

Senescence is an integrated response of plants to various internal (developmental) and external (environmental) signals. It is a highly regulated process leading eventually to the death of cells, single organs such as leaves, or even whole plants. In cereals, which are monocarpic plants, senescence represents the final stage of development. In order to study senescence in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum), a cDNA-AFLP analysis was performed. The transcription profiles of plants at different developmental stages (flowering and senescent) were compared. About 2000 cDNA fragments, ranging in size from 160 to 1900 bp, were reproducibly detected. This allowed the identification of 57 differentially expressed cDNAs corresponding to genes belonging to different functional categories related to cellular metabolism, transcription, maintenance of DNA structure, transport and signal transduction. This paper reports the identification of novel durum wheat candidate genes involved in the senescence process, and provides new information about the senescence programme of this important crop species.

Table olives represent one important fermented product in Europe and, in the world, their demand is constantly increasing. At the present time, no systems are available to control black table olives spontaneous fermentation by the Greek method. During this study, a new protocol for the production of black table olives belonging to two Italian (Cellina di Nardò and Leccino) and two Greek (Kalamàta and Conservolea) cultivars has been developed: for each table olive cultivar, starter-driven fermentations were performed inoculating, firstly, one selected autochthonous yeast starter and, subsequently, one selected autochthonous LAB starter. All starters formulation were able to dominate fermentation process. The olive fermentation was monitored using specific chemical descriptors able to identify a first stage (30 days) mainly characterized by aldehydes; a second period (60 days) mainly characterized by higher alcohols, styrene and terpenes; a third fermentation stage represented by acetate esters, esters and acids. A significant decrease of fermentation time (from 8 to 12 months to a maximum of 3 months) and an significant improvement in organoleptic characteristics of the final product were obtained. This study, for the first time, describes the employment of selected autochthonous microbial resources optimized to mimic the microbial evolution already recorded during spontaneous fermentations.

Xylella fastidiosa is a gram-negative, xylem-limited, bacterium which is responsible, in Italy, for the Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS). The disease is caused by the subspecies pauca and emerged a few years ago in the Apulia province of Lecce, in the Salento peninsula, on Olea europaea plants. X. fastidiosa can infect different plant species and is well known in California as the causal agent of Pierce's disease on grape. Infections of susceptible hosts with X. fastidiosa are known to result in xylem vessel occlusions, water movement impairment, and accordingly to induce the typical desiccation symptoms. In the present study, we investigated xylem vessel occlusions in healthy and naturally infected O. europaea plants grown in open field by analyzing three olive cultivars widespread in the region that show different degree of susceptibility to the disease: the susceptible cultivars "Ogliarola salentina" and "Cellina di Nardò", and the tolerant cultivar "Leccino". Our results show that occlusions were caused by tyloses and gums/pectin gels, and not by bacterial cell aggregates. Our data also indicate that occlusions are not responsible for the symptomatology of the OQDS and, as observed in Leccino plants, they are not a marker of tolerance/resistance to the disease.