The yellow-purple Polignano carrot (Daucus carota L.): a multicoloured landrace from the Puglia region (Southern Italy) at risk of genetic erosion

In order to help conserve genetic resources in agriculture, the Puglia Regional Administration (Southern Italy) planned two specific actions under its 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme. This led to several activities being carried out for some local varieties, including the so-called yellow-purple Polignano carrot, a multi-coloured landrace grown by a handful of old farmers who act as seed savers. The roots of this landrace, which is grown without fertilizer near the sea, have interesting visual, sensorial and nutritional traits as well as great potential for culinary applications and promising uses as raw material for new food products. However, this interesting landrace is grown on only a few hectares and is regarded as a vegetable at risk of genetic erosion. This note contains information on the yellow-purple Polignano carrot, with the aim of safeguarding some of the indigenous knowledge on the landrace and stimulating research activities that may lead to breeding programmes or commercial production improvement.