A collection of 130 olive samples, originating from diverse areas in Europe and corresponding to 67 different cultivars denominations, was genotyped at 14 microsatellite loci. In total, 135 alleles with a mean number of 9.6 alleles per locus were detected. All but 30 accessions showed unique genotypes. Several cases of synonymy listed in the FAO database of olive germplasm could not be confirmed, as different allelic profiles were obtained from putatively synonymous cultivars. The existence of homonyms or mislabeled samples in olive germplasm collections was evidenced by allele differences of up to 60% between samples of the same denomination. An allele-sharing phenogram of the analyzed genotypes revealed several cultivars with high levels of intra-varietal polymorphism, as well as cultivar families consisting of closely related cultivars with similar denominations. Our work shows that the current designations of olive cultivars fall short of describing the genetic variability among economically important plant material. A thorough investigation of the existing variability will prove of major importance for both management and economic production of olive trees.

Purpose: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play important key roles in the soil ecosystems as they link plants to the root-inaccessible part of soil. The aims of this study were to investigate which environmental factors influence the spatial and temporal structuring of AMF communities associated toPicconia azoricain two Azorean islands (Terceira and São Miguel islands), and investigate the seasonal variation in AMF communities between the two islands.Methods: Communities of AMF associated withP. azoricain native forest of two Azorean islands (Terceira and São Miguel) were characterised by spore morphology or molecular analysis.Results: Forty-five AMF spore morphotypes were detected from the four fragments ofP. azoricaforest representing nine families of AMF.Acaulosporaceae(14) andGlomeraceae(9) were the most abundant families. AMF density and root colonisation varied significantly between islands and sampling sites. Root colonisation and spore density exhibited temporal patterns, which peaked in spring and were higher in Terceira than in São Miguel. The relative contribution of environmental factors showed that factors such as elevation, relative air humidity, soil pH, and soil available P, K, and Mg influenced AMF spore production and root colonisation.Conclusion: Different sporulation patterns exhibited by the members of the commonest families suggested different life strategies. Adaptation to a particular climatic and soil condition and host phenology may explain seasonal differences in sporulation patterns. Cohorts of AMF associated toP. azoricaare shaped by regional processes including environmental filters such as soil properties and natural disturbance.

As the ancestor of cultivated grape, Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris represents a unique, invaluable genetic resource for the improvement of cultivated grapevines. Recently, five populations of wild grapevines were identified in Portugal. Sixty vines were characterized with 11 nuclear SSR markers and further compared with 70 genotypes of Portuguese Vitis vinifera subsp. sativa. The obtained data demonstrate moderate genetic differentiation between wild grapevine populations and moderate to high genetic differentiation between wild and cultivated grapevines. However, the identification of high degrees of similarity between wild and cultivated grapes (up to 87%) and a putative parent–progeny relationship between wild and cultivated grapes with 17 additional SSR markers is indicative of gene flow between local wild grapevine populations and Portuguese domesticated vines. Also, the ancestry of some Azorean cultivars was ascertained. The obtained data further support the hypothesis of several domestication centres, with Portugal, Spain, and Italy playing a particular role after the last glaciation, giving rise to many of the Western European cultivars.

Summary: The Maremmano is an Italian warmblood horse breed from central Italy. We characterized the genetic diversity and the degree of admixture in Maremmano in comparison to 14 other European horse breeds using 30 microsatellites. Between‐breed diversity explained about 9 per cent of the total genetic diversity. Cluster analysis, genetic distances and genetic differentiation coefficients showed a close relationship of Maremmano with Hanoverian and Lusitano in accordance with breed history.