Agrobiodiversity Collection

Scientific Coordinator: prof.ssa Elisabetta Nicolosi

The Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A) houses the agrobiodiversity collection for teaching and research purposes, while preserving Sicilian species and ecotypes of agricultural interest at risk of erosion and yet promoting technological, historical, genetic, pomological and health studies. This is also set to enhance health per se, as far as its agronomic, organoleptic and ornamental specificity, which in terms of scientific and cultural heritage, it is indeed of quite extraordinary significance.

Sicilian agricultural biodiversity is preserved with seeds collection of fruits and infructescences of tree species (carob, almond, prickly pear, apple, pear, pomegranate, fig) and herbaceous plants (cereals, grain legumes, vegetables, garden plants, legumes, fodder legume crops, graminaceous and polyennial plants).

A collection of autochthonal germplasm of either planted or spontaneous origins is housed by Di3A, in addition to ancient and local varieties of hard and soft wheat (ancient grains), leguminous, forage-based, self-seeding, polyennial, and garden-based. The seeds of these particular accessions are kept and preserved in temperature-controlled cabinets.