{"title":"Why study the archeo-histories of dryland landraces now?","authors":"Guy Bar-Oz, Joshua Schmidt","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2025.01.004","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Living landrace fruit trees are preserved in the margins of the Mediterranean countryside. Often found in drought-prone areas and historically selected and bred for resilience to aridity, landrace cultivars have distinctive genetic identities. The study of their longevity, endurance, and intergenerational traits reveals how historical farmers adapted to harsh environments through resource management and the use of prized cultivars. We propose a model to merge archeological and socio-historical methods to contextualize the biological narratives in landrace fruit tree cultivars within their historical origins. Insights from this manner of research can enhance sustainable horticulture practices by offering innovative recourses for reclaiming traditional landrace cultivars. Using ancient landrace varieties to increase plant diversity can have various financial, cultural, and ecological benefits for modern agriculture.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Trends in Plant Science","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2025.01.004","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PLANT SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Living landrace fruit trees are preserved in the margins of the Mediterranean countryside. Often found in drought-prone areas and historically selected and bred for resilience to aridity, landrace cultivars have distinctive genetic identities. The study of their longevity, endurance, and intergenerational traits reveals how historical farmers adapted to harsh environments through resource management and the use of prized cultivars. We propose a model to merge archeological and socio-historical methods to contextualize the biological narratives in landrace fruit tree cultivars within their historical origins. Insights from this manner of research can enhance sustainable horticulture practices by offering innovative recourses for reclaiming traditional landrace cultivars. Using ancient landrace varieties to increase plant diversity can have various financial, cultural, and ecological benefits for modern agriculture.
期刊介绍:
Trends in Plant Science is the primary monthly review journal in plant science, encompassing a wide range from molecular biology to ecology. It offers concise and accessible reviews and opinions on fundamental plant science topics, providing quick insights into current thinking and developments in plant biology. Geared towards researchers, students, and teachers, the articles are authoritative, authored by both established leaders in the field and emerging talents.