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Abstract
In northeastern Italy, Veneto contributes significantly to national and international agricultural production. Veneto is particularly known for its cultivation of Cichorium species, especially radicchio. However, due to increasing climatic changes, the Region is under increased threat of drought. Phylogenetic studies that categorize relationships between wild and cultivated Cichorium can be used to improve crop resilience to such climatic changes. This study categorized the genetic links between Cichorium species and assessed some of the most economically important varieties for drought tolerance. The phylogenetic tree is the first to combine literature and genomic data to categorize Cichorium. The preliminary drought study showed varieties of cultivated Cichorium that could be a source of drought-tolerant genes. We also suggest experimental design improvements for future research on radicchio under drought conditions.