Rosa Romana apple: A heritage of the apple germoplasm of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines to be recovered and promoted

A molecular characterization on the ancient variety ‘Rosa Romana’ was carried out to improve biodiversity knowledge and preserve these trees from extinction risks. In this work, 47 accessions were collected throughout an investigation in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy) and particularly in the mountain area of the Bologna province (19 collection sites). The analysis at molecular level by using 15 SSR (microsatellites) identified two main genotype groups and ascertained their relationship with several phenotypic traits. This two clusters contained most of the collected accessions, while remaining genotypes differ clearly, according with the phenotypic diversity on the behavior of the trees or fruits. This study also revealed the highest quality traits of ‘Rosa Romana’ apple grown in the Apennines mountain around Bologna (in a range between 400 and 1000 m.a.s.l.) if compared to each main clone produced at the lowland corresponding to the Bologna University Agricultural Experimental Station (30 m.a.s.l). Therefore, the apple quality as color, appearance, taste (flesh firmness and texture, sweetness, acidity, aroma, polyphenol soreness), were improved in the higher altitudes. In conclusion, the results of this environmental and genetic investigation on the residual cultivation of ‘Rosa Romana’ apple provided a genomic validation of its best identified clones (correspondent to the main two clusters), which now can be recovered and promoted as new planting, with a own brand ‘Rosa Romana’ produced in the Apennines mountain of north Italy.