High-Throughput Genotype, Morphology, and Quality Traits Evaluation for the Assessment of Genetic Diversity of Wheat Landraces from Sicily

During the XX Century, the widespread of modern wheat cultivars drastically reduced the cultivation of ancient landraces, nowadays confined in niche cultivation areas. Several durum wheat landraces are still cultivated in Sicily (Italy), because of a high adaptability to extreme Mediterranean environments. Detailed knowledge about genetic diversity on this germplasm could lay the basis for an efficient management of genetic resources in a breeding perspective, due to their tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses compared to modern variety. The aim of the present study was to characterize a collection of Sicilian durum wheat landraces using a genotyping array, together with agro‐morphological, phenological and qualitative traits, using the modern cv. Simeto, Claudio and the hexaploid landrace, Cuccitta, as outgroups. Cluster analysis and Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) allowed us to identify 4 main clusters across the analyzed germplasm, among which a private cluster included modern and commercial varieties. Likewise, STRUCTURE analysis was able to distinct the ancient varieties from the others, grouping the entries in seven cryptic genetic clusters. Furthermore, a PCA was able to separate the modern testers from ancient germplasm. This approach was useful to classify and evaluate Sicilian ancient wheat germplasm, supporting their safeguard and providing a genetic fingerprint useful to avoid commercial frauds and sustain the economic profits of farmers resorting to cultivation of landraces.