Ricerc@Sapienza

Plant domestication is a dynamic and ongoing process that has been largely studied by Archeology and Genetics, whereas the ecological aspects have been often overlooked. However, filling this gap is very important not only to better understand how plant domestication progressed but also to identify its evolution and future consequences. Archeological and genetic evidences highlighted that domesticated plants come from a phylogenetically diverse assemblage of wild ancestors (i.e. wild relatives) by artificial selection for different traits. Specifically, plant domestication is considered the result of a convergent evolution, which led different species to acquire a set of phenotypic traits (i.e. domestication syndrome). Nevertheless, also natural selection caused by the cultivation conditions (i.e. resources availability and disturbance intensity) can be considered a driver of crop evolution. Human selection based on traits of agronomical interest could have led to an indirect selection for other traits resulting from biophysical or eco-physiological constraints caused by agricultural practices. This could have produced shift in functional trait syndrome leading to hypothesize that domestication syndrome does not follow a unique model. However, redefine a new domestication syndrome scheme requires to identify traits not directly selected by artificial selection so that eco-physiological and biophysical constraints can be revealed. Accordingly, the proposed research aims to contribute redefining a new domestication syndrome scheme by using plant traits related to biomass allocation patterns (i.e. dry mass distribution through different plant organs). These patterns have a high responsiveness to abiotic factors and allow to understand the performance of plants, which experience different environmental conditions. Thus, the analysis of these patterns by using whole-plant traits is a valuable test-bed to analyze functional changes during crop domestication.