INTERREG IIIA PROGRAM Transfrontaliero Adriatico SIAB PROJECT; AXIS 3; MEASURE 3.1.

1. INTERREG IIIA PROGRAM Transfrontaliero Adriatico SIAB PROJECT; AXIS 3; MEASURE 3.1. Strengthening of services to farms and institutional support for the development of organic agriculture UNIVERSITY OF BARI Agricultural Faculty, DiBCA Genetics and Plant Breeding Unit Scientific leader: Prof. Luigi Ricciardi ricciard@agr.uniba.it Kickoff Meeting – IAMB Valenzano, 3 aprile 2006

2. SCIENTIFIC, DIDACTICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL FIELDS APPROACHED IN THE PROJECT BY THE GENETICS AND PLANT BREEDING UNIT OF THE BARI UNIVERSITY Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on ecosystem management and attempts to reduce or eliminate external agricultural inputs, especially synthetic ones. It is a holistic production management system that promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity.  In preference to the use of off-farm inputs, organic farming emphasizes management practices, taking into account that regional conditions require locally adapted systems. Reference low:Reg. CEE 2092/91

3. SOME ECONOMIC DATA ON ORGANIC FARMS Number of organic farms (a) and their hectarage (b) detected for the 2001-2004 period in some European Countries

4. Italian hectarage variation recorded in the 1999-2003 period on crops grown using organic agriculture. The hectarage includes both organic farms and farms that was in changing from conventional to organic agriculture

5. Number of organic farms operating in some Italian regions in 2004 year

6. A C T I V I T Y A I M S • To perform experimental trials on organic agriculture aimed to increase specific competences on field and lab work; • To organize in Bari and Lecce Universities a stage for researchers coming from the 5 partner Countries involved in the project; • To give lectures in the Institutions involved in the project useful to spread final results gained by means of the experimental trials carried out in Italy.

7. F I E L D S O F A C T I O N GENETICS AND PLANT BREEDING AGRONOMIC • Soil, organic matter and microbiological activity • Fertilization • Weed control • Pest and diseases control • Irrigation • Resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses • Adaptation to low-input systems • Safeguard, collecting and conservation of genetic resources • Identification and characterization of ecotypes and new alternative crops A I M E D T O T H E

8. KNOWLEDGE DEEPENING ON THE • Improvement of genotypic adaptation to organic agriculture system; • Yield qualitative improvement (commercial homogeneity, nutritional traits, etc.); • Safeguard and exploitation of biodiversity, typical productions (by means of quality seals) and rural environments; • Opportunity to grow alternative crops to be used according to the new PAC regulation.

9. SPECIES INSERTED IN THE PROJECT (a) AND RELATED TOPICS OF INVESTIGATION (b) (a) (b) Selection plans for adaptation to organic agriculture Natural supply of nitrogen and organic matter; selection for Oidium and Orobanche resistance Selection for Oidium resistance; germplasm characterization; exploitation of typical production Safeguard and characterization of genetic resources; selection for resistance to Frankliniella Trials of introduction Cereals Durum wheat Leguminous Chickpea, pea, broad and field bean Vegetables Tomato and melon Fruit trees Fig, grapevine, olive Alternative crops

10. T. turgidum var. durum

11. Example of selective effectiveness for nitrogen low-input adaptation

12. Cicer aretinum L.

13. Susceptible Resistant Pisum sativum L.

14. Resistant Susceptible Pisum sativum L. Vs Orobanche crenata Fosk

15. Vicia faba L.

17. Cucumis melo L. Caroselli

18. Ficus carica L.

19. Vitis vinifera L.

20. Olea europea L.

21. SCHEDULE OF THE ACTIVITIES • First year: • Setting up of the experimental fields (Bari University and IAM-B) using both organic and conventional practices; • Pedological analyses; • Realization of field trials using typical Mediterranean crops and agronomic evaluation of alternative crops (kenaf, crambe, safflower); • Evaluation of genetic resources (accessions, ecotypes, landraces, etc.) to select genotypes of value for resistance sources and typical productions;

22. Second year: • It will be replicated some field trials performed in the first year both with organic and conventional management; • Training of visitor researchers in fields and labs; • Development of final seminars in the five Countries involved in the project.

23. SCIENTIFIC STAFF OF THE GENETICS AND PLANT BREEDING UNIT INVOLVED IN THE ACTIVITIES • Prof. Luigi Ricciardi • Prof. Girolamo Fanizza • Prof. Andrea Filippetti • Prof.ssa Concetta Lotti • Dott. Paolo Resta • Dott. Claudio De Giovanni • Sig. Ferruccio Cosimo Marzano • Sig. Raffaele Marcotrigiano • Sig. Vito Zonno

24. C O N C L U S I O N S My collaborators and I hope that, as for the Interreg II program developed in Albania, also this project will be useful both to gain results of high scientific interest and to start friendly co-operations among all the participating researchers. THANKS FOR THE ATTENTION