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This brief historical review focuses on durum wheat domestication and breeding in the Mediterranean region. Important milestones in durum wheat breeding programs across the countries of the Mediterranean basin before and after the Green Revolution are discussed. Additionally, the main achievements of the classical breeding methodology are presented using a comparison of old and new cultivars. Furthermore, current breeding goals and challenges are analyzed. An overview of classical breeding methods in combination with current molecular techniques and tools for cultivar development is presented. Important issues of seed quality are outlined, focusing on protein and characteristics that affect human health and are connected with the consumption of wheat end-products.

Although cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is well established in eggplant, CMS-based interspecific hybrids with allied species have not yet been reported or studied. In this study, five previously developed CMS-based interspecific F1 hybrids between eggplant and Solanum aethiopicum Group Aculeatum (=S. integrifolium) and Group Gilo (=S. gilo), together with their parental lines, were morphologically evaluated for 67 seedling, vegetative, floral, and fruit traits, and their heterosis for vegetative growth was studied. Male fertility was assessed based on anther morphology and pollen viability, while female fertility was evaluated through backcrosses to both parents. The hybrids exhibited predominantly intermediate phenotypes and clustered distinctly from parental lines as confirmed by principal component analysis. Remarkable heterosis was observed for most growth-related traits, indicating favorable nuclear–cytoplasmic interactions despite the use of CMS eggplant lines as maternal parents. All hybrids showed complete male sterility, characterized by non-viable pollen and pronounced anther homeotic alterations, the latter indicating CMS-related effects on male fertility. Female fertility was severely reduced, likely due to meiotic irregularities, as evidenced by the failure of most attempted backcrosses. However, successful recovery of BC1 progeny after backcrossing one CMS-based F1 hybrid to S. gilo demonstrates partial reproductive compatibility and provides a genetic bridge for CMS introgression into S. gilo. These results indicate that CMS systems are suitable for eggplant interspecific crosses aimed at vigorous rootstock production and CMS cytoplasm introgression into allied germplasm.

The phenolic profile of Greek chamomile populations was investigated by HPLC-PDA-MS. For comparison, three commercial varieties (Banatska, Lutea and Goral) cultivated under the same conditions were included in the study. All samples exhibited similar qualitative patterns but differed in their quantitative characteristics. Overall, 29 constituents were detected, belonging to phenolic acids, flavonol glycosides, flavone glycosides (mainly apigenin derivatives) and acylated polyamines. Quantitative results showed that both Greek populations had a high content in apigenin derivatives (0.39 and 0.31 %w/w) and caffeoylquinic acids (0.96 and 0.81 %w/w), whereas they had the highest amount of flavonol glycosides among the tested samples. Greek populations were comparable to the Banatska variety, while they were superior to the Lutea and Goral varieties cultivated under the same conditions. Results demonstrate that Greek chamomile populations studied here, are an excellent source of a wide range of phenolics which contribute to the medicinal and antioxidant properties of this herbal remedy. Antioxidant tests showed that chamomile extracts from the studied materials, especially from the Greek populations possess antioxidant activity, corresponding to their polyphenol content. This is the first report on the phenolic constituents of Matricaria recutita growing in Greece and well-established chamomile varieties.

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) is a popular herb of great economic and medicinal value. Despite its significant potential, there are currently no commercially available varieties specifically adapted to Mediterranean low-input farming systems. The present study aimed to develop a genetically improved breeding population derived from indigenous Greek chamomile germplasm, following a multi-year strategy, based on pedigree selection under low-input conditions. This selection process constituted the first phase of the breeding program, during which selection focused on improving inflorescence dry weight and essential oil quality, particularly with respect to α-bisabolol and chamazulene content. After three cycles of selection, considerable genetic gains were achieved. The realized heritability values exceeded 0.5 for all assessed traits, confirming strong genetic control. In the fourth year, representing the second phase of the breeding program, the breeding population—developed through selection during the first phase—was evaluated alongside the initial population and commercial diploid and tetraploid varieties. The breeding population exhibited significant observed gains compared to the initial population: inflorescence dry weight increased by 12.17%, α-bisabolol content by 71.45%, and chamazulene content by 6.57%. Additionally, the breeding population not only surpassed all evaluated diploid genotypes in essential oil composition, but also displayed a chemotypic shift, indicating successful alignment with tetraploid varieties characterized by high-value chemical profiles. Furthermore, this selection process targeting specific commercial chamomile traits indirectly contributed to improvement in plant height and inflorescence morphology. Overall, these results demonstrate that conventional breeding, when applied effectively to native resources, can enhance both agronomic performance and essential oil profile. The newly developed breeding population provides a strong foundation for future cultivar development tailored to Mediterranean low-input sustainable farming systems.

Bread wheat landraces were an important source of biodiversity used in agriculture before the widespread adoption of high-yielding commercial cultivars adapted to high inputs. Could future agriculture exploit these landraces in different cropping systems in organic or lower-input environments? A two-year field trial was conducted to evaluate grain yield, agronomic performance, and grain quality of bread wheat landraces under different cropping systems, including low-input/organic/conventional environments. Significant variability was found for almost all characteristics among landraces, which makes landraces valuable sources of genetic variation for breeding programs aimed at achieving high and consistent production as well as high-quality products in low-input/organic environments. Additionally, landraces play a crucial role in expanding the genetic diversity of cultivated bread wheat and mitigating biodiversity erosion, thereby enabling crops to better withstand the challenges of low-input/organic agriculture. The landrace “Xilokastro Lamias” had the highest yield among the landraces evaluated in the first growing season (2.65 t·ha−1) and one of the highest yields (2.52 t·ha−1) of all genotypes in the second growing season, which shows promising potential as a starting material in breeding programs targeting high and stable yields. GGE biplot analysis identified the landrace ”Xilokastro Lamias”, along with commercial cultivars “Yecora E” and “Panifor”, as suitable candidates for direct use in low-input/organic wheat farming systems to achieve enhanced productivity. In the conventional environment (C2-IPGRB), commercial cultivars showed the highest values (3.09 to 3.41 ton·ha−1). Of the landraces, only the X4 showed a high GY (3.10 ton·ha−1) while the other landraces had ~33–85% lower yield. In the organic environment (O2-IPGRB), the highest productivity was found in the commercial cultivar X5 and the landrace X4. Commercial cultivars X8 and X7 showed ~68% reduction in GY in the organic environment compared to the conventional, while this reduction was half for the landraces. Finally, the reduction in grain yield between conventional and organic environments was observed to be 45% for commercial cultivars, while it was only half for landraces. This finding confirms the adaptability of landraces to organic agriculture.

White lupin (Lupinus albus) is a very important legume crop, having seeds with high protein content but also quantities of antinutritional alkaloids. Regarding cultivation, it is sensitive to neutral or alkaline soil conditions, although it is well adapted to drought conditions. In this study, the adaptability of 17 L. albus (14 commercial varieties and 3 advanced lines) genotypes to neutral-pH soils was investigated in relation to morphological, agronomical, and yield attributes. An extended characterization of seed composition for total alkaloids, trypsin inhibitors, phenolics, tannins, total nitrogen, NDF, ADF, and lignin was also performed. Furthermore, a prebreeding program consisting of 140 targeted crosses was initiated to develop new F1 combinations for genotypes with low alkaloid profiles; at the same time, controlled self-fertilization of elite lines was carried out. The results indicated that the morphological response of L. albus to neutral pH was positive and significantly genotypically dependent. Among the varieties tested, ‘Magnus’ and ‘Figaro’ showed low alkaloid and lignin contents. On the other hand, the advanced lines (LKAP, LKML, LKAU) had high antinutritional components, even though they were high-yielding. This research proposes a model of combined evaluation and selection processes for identification of particular genotypes that can perform well in neutral soils and provides the basis for breeding and producing low-alkaloid genotypes for multi-locational exploitation.

Bread wheat variety development suited to organic farming conditions remains a major challenge mainly because of the high breeding costs involved and the few cultivars adapted to low-input systems. The present work explores whether early generation selection needs to take place under organic conditions for subsequent adaptation or whether conventional testing at an early stage could be adequate. A diverse set of crosses involving Greek landraces and commercial cultivars were developed and advanced by honeycomb pedigree selection under both organic and conventional environments. Subsequently, F4 progenies and an upgraded landrace were evaluated over two years in neighboring organic and conventional trials. Both statistical and GGE biplot analyses revealed significant genotype × environment interactions. The results clearly indicate that early selection under organic conditions did not provide a consistent advantage for subsequent performance under organic management compared with conventional early selection. Genotypes derived from the Africa × Atheras cross consistently showed the highest and most stable yields across the two environments, irrespective of the early selection environment. These results indicate that genetic background and landrace-derived diversity are more important than the early selection environment for the expression of performance. A staged breeding strategy involving initial selection in conventional management followed by multi-environment testing in organic conditions can provide a cost-effective approach to developing resilient, high-yielding wheat cultivars suitable for organic farming systems, which are typically characterized by low-input management practices, and in tune with the EU targets for expanded organic farming.

Addressing principal challenges in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) breeding requires a holistic approach. A combined strategy was implemented to assess seven genotypes (landraces and commercial varieties) for yield potential, stability and resistance to bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) under Mediterranean low-input conditions. Pure-line selection and prognostic breeding together with SSR and CAPS-SCAR marker-assisted selection (MAS) formed the core methodology. Significant variation was detected across 24 morpho-agronomic descriptors, while SSR revealed 48.57% polymorphic loci and private alleles in specific landraces. High genetic coefficients of variation and high heritability were recorded for yield-related traits. Phenotypical evaluation showed diverse responses to BCMV, with mild symptoms predominating (52.14%). Entries G1 (45%) and G5 (35%) exhibited the highest frequency of the symptomless resistant phenotype. Molecular screening at I and bc-3/eIF4E loci confirmed G5’s robust dominant I gene profile, while G1 included individuals carrying both the dominant I gene and recessive bc-3, offering a valuable source for pyramiding resistance. Additionally, G1 (LI = 2.35; 100%) performed strongly in productivity, whereas G2 (SI = 3.1; 100%) and G7 (SI = 2.8; 89.7%) exhibited exceptional stability. Overall, the mixed-model approach highlighted the complementary characteristics of the tested genotypes and identified G1, G2, G5 and G7 as promising candidates for future breeding programs targeting high yield, low-input adaptability and resistance to BCMV.

Background Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) is a widely cultivated vegetable and aromatic‐medicinal plant. In this research, field studies assessed 12 fennel genotypes of diverse origin, comprising 10 Greek accessions and two European commercial varieties, focusing on their morpho‐agronomical traits, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in the aboveground biomass. Emphasis gave on the post‐harvest determination of seed yield and essential oil's (EO's) profile for each genotype. Results Multivariate data analysis on both morpho‐agronomical descriptors and EO's components demonstrated clear distinction of Greek fennel accessions (groups I and III) from commercial varieties (group II). Accessions of groups I and III were ranked with intermediate values of height, foliage density, leaf length, green color intensity and primary canopy diameter. In addition, fennel accessions differentiated in their EO's yield (ranged from 2.2% to 7.8%), although they exhibited similar qualitative profile. The main EO's compound of group I was trans‐anethole, estragole and fenchone for group III, while commercial varieties characterized by high concentration in trans‐anethole and fenchone. Variations among genotypes were also demonstrated in the content of total phenolics (7.0–11.6 mg g−1 on dry weight basis, dw) and flavonoids (5.9–12.4 mg g−1 dw), while the antioxidant activity determined by ABTS test, varied from 9.0 to 16.2 mg Trolox equivalents g−1 dw. Conclusion The observed variability in morpho‐agronomical descriptors and phytochemical profile among fennel genotypes recorded for the first time the potential of Greek native genetic material. The data of this research provides useful information for direct future uses in pharmaceutical industry and for applications in plant breeding programs, aiming to produce new type of fennel varieties.

Tomato is one of the most consumed fruit vegetables globally and is a high dietary source of minerals, fiber, carotenoids, and vitamin C. The tomato is also well known for its nutraceutical chemical content which strengthens human immune systems and is protective against infectious and degenerative diseases. For this reason, there has been recent emphasis on breeding new tomato cultivars with nutraceutical value. Most of the modern tomato cultivars are F1 hybrids, and many of the characteristics associated with fruit quality have additive gene action; so, in theory, inbred vigor could reach hybrid vigor. A sum of 20 recombinant lines was released from the commercial single-cross hybrids Iron, Sahara, Formula, and Elpida, through a breeding process. Those recombinant lines were evaluated during spring–summer 2015 under organic farming conditions in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) experimental design with three replications. A sum of eleven qualitative characteristics of the fruit was recorded on an individual plant basis. Results from this study indicated that the simultaneous selection of individual tomato plants, both in terms of their high yield and desired fruit quality characteristics, can lead to highly productive recombinant lines with integrated quality characteristics. So, inbred vigor can reach and even surpass hybrid vigor. The response to selection for all characteristics evaluated shows additive gene action of all characteristics measured. These recombinant lines can fulfill this role as alternatives to hybrid cultivars and those that possess high nutritional values to function as functional-protective food.