Triticale in Italy

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Triticale is a human-created cereal, originally bred with the aim of combining the useful traits of Triticum (high yield potential and good grain quality) and Secale (vigor and resistance to diseases and abiotic stresses, including soil conditions). Triticale has several final destinations; herbages and grains are mainly used for livestock feeding, the grains can be used for niche food and the whole plant can be used as energy crop. In 2020, more than 13 million tons were harvested in Europe. Italy contributes to European production with a minority share that is equal to approximately 0.5% of the entire production. An overview of the varietal landscape, major uses and perspectives for triticale cultivation in Italy is presented. ABSTRACT: Triticale is currently grown throughout the world with a wider diffusion in Europe, with Poland, Belarus, Germany, France and Spain as major producers. Although triticale occupies a very small fraction of the Italian cultivated land (16,000 ha of harvested area, mean value of the past 5 years), a continuous interest for this crop and its possible uses explains the work and progress made by breeding activities in different periods. The aim of this review is to report some experiences related to the cultivation of triticale in Italy. A general long-term view of the performance of triticale varieties in Italy has been distilled from a large amount of data derived from the pluri-decennial Italian national variety trials network. This activity, historically coordinated by CREA-GB, extends over several decades and examines the agronomic performance, in different Italian environments, of the most widespread and emerging varieties of triticale. Indications on new breeding targets can be deduced from the elaborations in the frame of both climatic change and market demands.