The ARTICIOC project aims to recover, learn about, and enhance the biodiversity of artichokes and Lombardy corms, two closely related crops characterized by wide variability.
Initial investigations on the ground and historical sources suggest the presence of local ecotypes that are still little known, particularly in Oltrepò Pavese and the Garda Riviera, with further reports in various areas of Lombardy.
The goal is to recover and characterize the existing biodiversity of artichokes and Lombard artichokes, identifying any ecotypes with distinctive characteristics and a distinct territorial identity.
The project also aims to explore the potential of these Mediterranean species as complementary or alternative crops to vines, also in relation to the new conditions determined by climate change.
The heart of the activities is the collection field of the Riccagioia Foundation in Torrazza Coste (PV), which was launched as part of the NODES project under the RRF with the involvement of the University of Pavia.
The collection, which includes about 10 local Lombardy ecotypes and comparison material, constitutes an open-air laboratory for the study, comparison, and characterization of the various accessionions.
The project involves the research and recovery of local ecotypes in the Lombardy region, their cultivation and characterization, and the comparison of the different materials collected.
These activities are complemented by the conservation of germplasm: for artichokes, through the maintenance of plants in the field, and for cardoons, also through the conservation of seeds in Germplasm Banks, such as the one managed at the DSTA of the University of Pavia.
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ARTICIOC will allow for a more comprehensive understanding of the Lombard biodiversity of artichoke and thistle, identifying and preserving any ecotypes of particular interest.
The results could serve as the basis for protecting and valorizing new local genetic resources, promoting their conservation and opening up new perspectives for diversifying agricultural production and adapting to climate change.