Neglected Landraces of Collard (Brassica Oleracea L. Var
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Genet Resour Crop Evol (2008) 55:797–801 DOI 10.1007/s10722-007-9284-8 RESEARCH ARTICLE Neglected landraces of collard (Brassica oleracea L. var. viridis) from the Carolinas (USA) M. W. Farnham Æ E. H. Davis Æ J. T. Morgan Æ J. P. Smith Received: 12 April 2007 / Accepted: 10 September 2007 / Published online: 19 October 2007 Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007 Abstract A common garden crop grown in the among landraces still grown in the region is now in coastal plain region of North and South Carolina the hands of an aging population of seed savers who (United States) is the non-heading, leafy green type maintain germplasm through on-farm preservation. of Brassica oleracea L. known as collard (B. From 2003 to 2006, we explored the coastal plain oleracea L. subsp. oleracea convar. acephala (DC.) region of North and South Carolina in search of Alef. var. viridis L.). Predominantly a fall and winter collard gardens containing traditional landraces. vegetable in this region, collard is often the only Exploration trips were conducted mid-winter to early green planting to be found in the yard or garden of a spring. About 90 samples of collard were obtained rural home during these cool seasons. Historically, from seed savers during the course of this explora- the traditional collard patch and even commercial tion. Observations of morphological differences of fields were planted with unique varieties perpetuated these landraces indicate that significant diversity by individual seed savers, and collectively, the exists in this group. Obtained landraces are being regional diversity for this crop was probably very deposited into the U.S. plant introduction collection significant for well over a century. Genetic erosion of and will be available for future use. This preserved this collard germplasm pool has been severe in recent collection could prove to be an important new source decades as commercial hybrids have been adopted by of genes for B. oleracea improvement. both large-scale producers and home gardeners. Although a significant number of collard landraces Keywords Acephala Group Á are being perpetuated to this day, existing diversity B. oleracea L. subsp. oleracea convar. acephala (DC.) Alef. var. viridis L. Á Landraces Á Leafy green Á On-farm preservation M. W. Farnham (&) U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 2700 Savannah Hwy., Charleston, SC 29414, USA The coastal plain region of North and South Carolina e-mail: [email protected] is a U.S. center of genetic diversity for the non- E. H. Davis Á J. T. Morgan heading Brassica oleracea L. botanical variety Geography Department, Emory and Henry College, known as collard (B. oleracea L. subsp. oleracea 238 McGlothlin Street Hall, Emory, VA 24327, USA convar. acephala (DC.) Alef. var. viridis L.). Collard diversity in this region is found in a varied assortment J. P. Smith Clemson University Cooperative Extension, of landraces held by local gardeners and seed savers 219 E. Main St., Lexington, SC 29072, USA who grow and preserve their particular varieties in an 123 798 Genet Resour Crop Evol (2008) 55:797–801 on-farm setting from year to year. Predominantly a oleracea convar. acephala var. viridis L. Gladis and fall and winter crop in this region, collard is often the Hammer (2001, 2003) have postulated an alternative only green planting to be found in the yard or garden grouping of all cultivated B. oleracea into a subspecies of a rural home during the cool season of the year. In designated ‘‘capitata’’. This proposed grouping would spite of the fact that it has been grown widely in the keep collard as convar. acephala var. viridis. Which- southeastern U.S. since at least the early 1800s, ever of the above classifications are used, collard collard has not been the subject of much horticultural remains grouped among other leafy B. oleracea study. vegetables including borecole, cow cabbage, kale, as The origins of the U.S. collard are uncertain but its well as additional ones more common to Europe. This ancestors probably came from the Mediterranean grouping of collard and the European leafy greens is where different B. oleracea leafy types were domes- based primarily on morphological similarities and not ticated from wild B. oleracea before the Roman era on any documented genetic similarities. (de Candolle 1967; Vavilov 1951). Indeed, B. oler- The evolution of collard as a common vegetable in acea crop types grouped in convar. acephala var. the southeastern U.S. is not well documented; viridis are considered the oldest forms of this however, relatively recent genetic studies (Farnham cultivated species (Diederichsen 2001). Medieval 1996; Song et al. 1988) comparing collard to other B. Europeans developed many forms of B. oleracea oleracea crops indicate that collard is more closely (including broccoli, cauliflower, kale, heading, and related to common heading cabbage [B. oleracea non-heading cabbages) and adapted them to soils and subsp. oleracea convar. capitata var. capitata L. climates across Europe. Although heading forms of (Diederichsen 2001)] than to kale. Indeed, cabbage cabbage became the most popular, gardeners from and collard have been grown in close proximity to some areas of the British Isles, Portugal, and Spain one another in southeastern states for at least two developed a loyalty to non-heading types, or cole- centuries if not longer, and it is likely that inter- worts as they were known by the English. The word mating between these two crops was common. On the coleworts may have been altered in the Americas contrary, kale and nearly all other forms of B. during the 1700s to become ‘‘collards’’ (Drummond oleracea are relatively recent vegetable arrivals to the 1959; Zohary and Hopf 1993). Cabbages and cole- Southeast and any historical interaction between worts were probably introduced to the new world as these and collard is highly unlikely. The genetic early as the 1500s and 1600s by the Spanish, studies cited above and anecdotal evidence regarding Portuguese, and English settlers (Sauer 1993), and a close historical relationship between cabbage and by the early 1800s collard was a common garden crop collard led Farnham (1996) to suggest that collard in the region (Davis and Morgan 2005). During the might be more appropriately classified with the U.S. Civil War, collard gained even more importance ‘‘Capitata Group’’ rather than the ‘‘Acephala Group’’ as a subsistence vegetable and it remains a symbolic [as applied by Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium landscape feature and food for many U.S. (1976)]. southerners. Significant commercial production of collard only Gladis and Hammer (2001) noted that many races began in the early 20th century with a large increase of the B. oleracea group can be categorized as in volume in the years following World War II when neglected and underutilized crops. ‘‘Mugnoli’’, a rare many southerners left farms in the rural south for landrace grown in isolated areas of Italy, is an urban areas throughout the U.S. Sales of the crop example of such a neglected crop (Laghetti et al. prior to this time were primarily surplus of subsis- 2005). The economic importance of collard is much tence production. The advent of supermarkets with greater than a race like ‘‘mugnoli’’; however, as a attendant warehouse distribution systems provided a relatively unstudied form of B. oleracea and source reliable market for producers of collard, and these are of unique germplasm, it is easily classified as now the primary outlets for production of this leafy neglected. vegetable. At present, the top collard producing states According to Mansfeld’s Encyclopedia of Agricul- are Georgia (6–8,000 acres), North Carolina tural and Horticultural Crops (section by Diederichsen (2,800 acres), and South Carolina (2,600 acres). 2001), collard is classified as B. oleracea subsp. Commercial producers plant a limited number of 123 Genet Resour Crop Evol (2008) 55:797–801 799 cultivars (primarily hybrids) and one hybrid, ‘Top search of collard gardens many which contain Bunch’, accounts for the majority of commercial traditional landraces. The exploration trips were acreage. Due to the predominance of ‘Top Bunch’, typically conducted sometime between January 1 commercial collard is represented by a narrow and the end of March. During January and February, genetic base. collard would be easily visible as the primary live Apart from commercial production, there is still a plant left in gardens near homes along the rural roads significant amount of collard sold directly to con- and highways (Fig. 1). Into March or later, the sumers in the southeastern U.S. at informal roadside collard patches would usually be blooming and the markets, local farmers’ markets, and produce stands. bright yellow flowers would be easy to spot. Plants These small markets, as well as home gardens in the left to flower were usually a good indication that a region, are where unique collard landraces can still be seed saver lived near by. When a plot was found, the found. These landraces have and are still being owner was sought out, information about the variety perpetuated by a small number of individuals prac- being grown was recorded, and seed was requested if ticing on-farm preservation. Examining less than 10 it was clear that the variety was not obtained from of these collard landraces in conjunction with other recent commercial sources. In general, nearly all seed cole crop varieties, Farnham (1996) showed that the savers were open and happy to discuss their collard landraces represent distinct genotypes and he advo- varieties and readily gave us some of their seed. cated a systematic collection of them before they are Eighty-eight samples of collard (73 from North lost. Carolina and 15 from South Carolina) were obtained Today, the typical Carolina on-farm collard from seed savers during the course of this explora- ‘‘patch’’ consists of 20–60 plants spaced about tion.