Evaluation of Italian and Spanish Accessions of Brassica rapa L.: Effect of Flowering Earliness on Fresh Yield and Biological Value

A comparative study for evaluating Italian and Spanish accessions of Brassica rapa var. rapa L., including turnip greens and turnip tops, was carried out at different locations with a view to determine the effect of earliness on crop production, antioxidant activity, glucosinolates amount, and profile (GLSs) and total phenolics content. The accessions evaluated were represented by two turnip top local varieties (one Italian variety and a Galician one), four new synthetic varieties established by Mision Biologica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC), and three commercial varieties widely used by growers in Galicia and in Italy. The results showed a great variability regarding flowering time, fresh and dry weight of the leaves and flower buds, and the branch number per plant. The highest turnip greens production was found in two synthetic varieties (SIN07 and SIN01) for both countries. Local varieties BRS550 and CM39 were also suitable for turnip greens production in Spain and Italy, respectively. For turnip tops, the highest production was found for SIN07 in Spain, for CM39 in Italy and for BRS550 in both countries. We found a high diversity in the total and individual glucosinolate, phenolic content, and antioxidant activity among genotypes, geographical origins, and the different parts of the plant (leaf and flower). Varieties SIN01 and SIN07 showed the highest values in total GLSs, total aliphatic and gluconapin contents in turnip greens followed by the two commercial varieties. For turnip tops, the highest values in gluconapin, aliphatic, and total GLSs contents were found in SIN01 and BRS550. Even though different varieties stand out over the rest depending on the location, SIN01, SIN07, CM39, and BRS550 could be recommended for turnip greens production because of its high antioxidant activity. The study showed that the latest varieties are more productive and show higher bioactive compounds than the earlier ones and that it is possible to improve genotypes for different growing cycles. Therefore, these varieties could be proposed for further breeding programs for B. rapa production.

Automated summary

A comparative study was conducted to evaluate Italian and Spanish accessions of Brassica rapa var. rapa L., showing variability in production and bioactive compound content among different genotypes and geographical origins. Some varieties stood out for turnip greens production, with high antioxidant activity, suggesting potential for further breeding programs.