Diversity of Kale Growing in Europe as a Basis for Crop Improvement

Kale (Brassica oleracea L. convar. acephala (DC.) Alef.) seems to be the most ancient crop belonging to the B. oleracea vegetables. It is grown in European countries, mainly in home gardens and peri-urban farms, to satisfy the requirements of families and local communities. The produce is represented mainly by shoots, which are utilized to prepare several traditional foods, whereas the old leaves are utilized for feeding animals. Kale seems to be the ancestor of several B. oleracea vegetable crops because it is very similar to B. oleracea wild type and to several wild Brassica species (n=9). The landraces are disappearing as a consequence of changed social and economic conditions and of introduction of new Brassica cultivars and crops providing higher yields. Twenty-three accessions were characterized by the main IBPGR and UPOV Brassica descriptors at the Agricultural Experimental Farm (AEF) of Catania University. They data registered allowed their classification into in several distinctive groups. The diversity observed could be of great interest in view of potential crop improvement.