Research regarding restoration of the main identity traits of old Romanian autumn cabbage cultivar ‘Licurișca’

For a long time, it was considered that the cabbage cultivar ‘Licurișca’ was lost forever as a result of negligence in terms of conservative selection and removal from the Official List of Crop Plants. This cultivar is considered one of the oldest cultivars of cabbage grown in Romania. It has its origin in the old landraces extended in Buzau vegetable area which in time, due to the empirical selection practices applied differently from one area to another, led to the emergence of new genotypes that received various popular names. This study aimed at the rehabilitation of ‘Licurișca’, restoration, and restriction of the variability of the identity characters according to the requirements of DUS test, preservation of the authenticity of the cultivar, promotion in culture and in future breeding works. In the study were used 26 representative landraces purchased from traditional domestic growers and gene banks. The method of improvement used was mass selection with a single choice followed by negative mass selection. The applied culture technology was the standard one applied identically for all genotypes. During the vegetation period, phenological and biometric observations were made with a special emphasis on the purification works. We mention that the cultivar was majorly affected by the phenomenon of genetic erosion. At the beginning of the research, only 18% were typical plants of the cultivar. The selection and improvement work undertaken have brought the ‘Licurișca’ cabbage cultivar back to the initial parameters described in the specialized literature: the average weight of the plant head of 2533 g, the total weight of the plant with the root of 4068 g, the vegetation period of 140 days. Starting with 2022, the cultivar will be re-examined by ISTIS Romania and proposed for re-registration. It will be preserved in the medium and long-term within the bank.