Development of genetic maps and QTL analyses in Cynara cardunculus L.: state of the art

Cynara cardunculus (2n=2x=34) is a member of the Asteraceae family, which is the largest and one of the most ecologically successful botanical families, and possesses a medium-sized genome (flow cytometry estimation = 1.07 Gb). The species is native to the Mediterranean Basin and, in addition to globe artichoke (var. scolymus L), it includes the cultivated cardoon (var. altilis DC) and the wild cardoon [var. sylvestris (Lamk) Fiori]. The two cultivated and the wild forms are fully cross-compatible and their F-1 segregating progenies have been developed for linkage studies on the basis of the two-way pseudo-testcross approach as well as for QTL analyses. Here, we report a survey on the state of the art of map development and the identification of genomic region influencing key agronomic traits in the species.