Distinctiveness of bean landraces in Italy: The case study of the 'Badda' bean

Abstract

In this study, we present the morphological and molecular characterization of the 'Badda' bean, a landrace of outstanding organoleptic qualities that is diffused in the area of Polizzi in the province of Palermo in Sicily, Italy. This landrace is entitled to be valorized in the local market and therefore needs a thorough description to draw criteria to establish its distinctiveness from landraces with morphological and geographical proximity. Three 'Badda' accessions, representing the morphological variability within the landrace, have been evaluated together with suitable references. With the help of morphophysiological traits, digital scanning of apical leaflets and ISSR molecular markers, we describe a spectrum of descriptors useful to distinguish the 'Badda' accessions among themselves and from similar landraces. © 2010 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.