Fuente: ISHS (International Society for Horticultural Science) Post date: Monday 1 December 2025
Author:
ISHS Secretariat

Pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch] is gaining increasing attention in Mediterranean regions as a promising alternative crop for diversifying nut production and coping with climate variability. Despite its recognized nutritional and agronomic value, limited information exists on its morphological and physiological behavior under Mediterranean conditions. To address this gap, a two-year trial (2019-2020) was conducted to characterize selected leaf traits in different cultivars.
The study was carried out at the repository of the Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, located at the “Martucci” experimental and educational center in Valenzano (Bari province, Puglia region, Italy). Ten pecan cultivars were evaluated for two parameters: leaf area (LA) and stomatal density (SD). Leaf samples collected during the growing season were analyzed microscopically for SD, while LA was determined using image-based techniques. Data were statistically analyzed through analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Ryan-Einot-Gabriel-Welsch and Quiot (REGWQ) post hoc tests to identify significant differences among cultivars.
Results revealed marked variability among cultivars under the pedo-climatic conditions of the Puglia region. ‘Cherokee’ and ‘Choctaw’ displayed the largest leaves, with mean areas of 454.13 mm2, whereas ‘Cape Fear’ had the smallest (215.56 mm2). In contrast, stomatal density was highest in ‘Stuart’ and ‘Cape Fear’ (589.58 and 566.66 stomata mm-2, respectively) and lowest in ‘Peruque’ and ‘Cherokee’ (427.08 and 444.79 stomata mm-2). The contrasting combinations of LA and SD suggest that pecan genotypes may adopt different adaptive strategies to a Mediterranean climate. For instance, larger leaves with fewer stomata, as in ‘Cherokee’, may indicate a strategy to maximize photosynthetic surface while reducing water loss, whereas smaller leaves with higher stomatal density, as in ‘Cape Fear’, could encourage faster gas exchange but imply greater drought sensitivity.
Overall, the data supports the existence of cultivar-specific morphological patterns that may influence photosynthetic efficiency and tolerance to water limitations under Mediterranean conditions. These results provide a first basis for identifying pecan cultivars best adapted to Mediterranean environments. Future research will aim to link stomatal and foliar traits with physiological performance, yield stability, and nut quality, thereby enhancing the role of pecan as a resilient crop in climate-challenged regions.
Alessandro Pesole won the ISHS Young Minds Award for the best poster presentation at the VI International Symposium on Pomegranate and Minor Mediterranean Fruits in Italy in September 2025.
Contact: Alessandro Pesole, Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, Via Giovanni Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari (BA), Italy, e-mail: a.pesole7@phd.uniba.it
The article is available in Chronica Horticulturae.Tags: pecanCategories: Young Minds Award Winners