Heads production in four genotypes of globe artichoke propagated with different methods

The artichoke industry in Sicily is interesting because of an increasing level of processes and product innovations. Its economic sustainability requires the release of new cultivars, new propagation material, new methods of planting and cultivation. Nowadays, the introduction of new hybrids propagated by seed is under the attention of growers and researchers mainly because of their higher productivity, the possibility of widening of the production calendar and the different utilizations of the product (fresh or processed). In this work a screening of cultivars, differently propagated was reported. The analyses referred to ‘Violet de Provence’, propagated by rooted offshoot, the most common in Sicily, two F1 hybrids, ‘Concerto’ and ‘Opal’ propagated by seed, and ‘Romanesco selection C3’ propagated in vitro. The research was carried out in Niscemi (Sicily, Italy), during the 2009-2010 cropping season. The four genotypes resulted different for both agronomical traits (plant growth and development, contemporaneity of flower emission, maturation time and different capitula yield) and product (heads were different for size, colour and shape). These results gave useful information concerning the choice of both genotype and/or method of propagation. Each cultivar, in fact, requires a specific mode of planting (plant density and arrangement), as well as for the propagation method used even if the environment of cultivation and destination of the products, fresh or processed, should be taken into account.