Signs of Inter-crossing between Leafy Kale Landraces and Brassica rupestris in South Italy

In southern Italy, landraces of leafy kales are grown in home gardens, sometimesin close proximity to populations of wild relatives. Inter-crossing between wildand cultivated populations might affect allele frequency patterns of the respectivepopulations. This has implications for genetic resource conservation and overallvariability of the Brassica genepool currently in use. AFLP studies on wild Brassicaand leafy kale landraces collected in Calabria and Sicily show evidence that intercrossingbetween leafy kale and Brassica rupestris is a common phenomenon.