Production Practices and Quality Assessment of Food Crops. Vol. 1

106 S. Pereira-Lorenzo and A. M. Ramos-Cabrer
furnitures and fuel. The Romans spread chestnut with the grapevines for production
of wooden barrels for the preservation and transportation of wine (Bruneton,
1984). In Medieval Ages big plantations for forestry and orchards with dual purpose;
fruit and timber were established (Bourgeois, 1992). Some of these plantations
can still be found in Toscany (Italy), Galicia (Spain), Tras-Os-Montes (Portugal),
Aveyron and Cévennes (France). Monastries are the owners of vineyards and had
been the contributors to the establishment of most of these chestnut orchards.
At the end of the 19th Century, chestnut was threatened by ink disease
(Phytophthora spp.) that encouraged the introduction of Asiatic species and their
hybridisation with European species to incorporate resistance. Hybridisation was
considered essential in maintaining the positive characteristics of the European
species. At the same time Blight (Chryphonectria parasitica) was imported in Europe
with the introduction of the Asiatic species and devastate many of the orchards.
Bruneton (1984) estimated a reduction of 450,000 ha in 1841 to 32,000 ha in 1975
in France, as a result of ink disease as well as competition from more productive
woody species as Pinus.
The beginning of the 21st Century a number of important studies on chestnut
has haulted this decline and revitalised advances in this crop. With a greater understanding
and knowledge of the genetics of chestnut and its diseases and considerable
improve in propagation methodology; the future of this crop is emerging.
1.1. Origins of chestnut
Vavilov (1951) established as the Centre of Origin of Castanea sativa in the
Caucasus, Asia Minor (Fourth Origin Centre; Vavilov, 1992). Pitte (1985, 1986) considers
that chestnut could be indigenous in the areas where it is presently found,
but like other tree crops it was spread from Near Orient toward the Atlantic, first
by the Greeks, then later by the Romans. Based on a genetic studies over natural
populations of Italy and Turkey, Villani et al. (1991b) established the following
hypothesis: (1) Initial spread from the post-glacial refuge in Eastern Turkey to the
Western regions was characterised by a low genes flow (40,000 to 1500 years
BC.). (2) Diffusion by men from West Turkey, Anatolia and Greece (1500 to 200
years BC.); (3) A second expansion by men toward Italy and Mediterranean area
during first and second century.
Camus (1929) first indicated that chestnut could not be spontaneous in France
but could be in Spain. Bonnefoi (1984) explained the higher variability found in
the Eastern populations of France as due to the influence of the populations of
the East Europe or a result of genetic differentiation produced by the different
climatic conditions between Eastern and Western France from a common population.
More recently, Frascaria and Lefranc (1992) confirmed that the differentiation
between Western and Eastern populations in France was due to the commercial flows
of nuts in ancient times: Western populations could be influenced by the Iberian
Peninsula and Eastern by Italy.