ARI Biennial Review for 2018-2019

stakeholders with the aim to increase collaboration among institutions involved with in situ and ex situ conservation and to raise awareness about local flora vulnerability. In situ conservation actions were applied for 10 rare plants of the flora of Cyprus, 121 accessions were collected and ex situ conserved, and germination protocols were developed for most of the species collected. The project was founded by MAVA foundation pour la Nature and it was ended in 2019. (A. Kyratzis, M.C. Kyriacou) Carobs, the black gold of Cyprus: Science meets industry – BLACKGOLD The overall major objective of the project is to help re-mobilise and extend the carob industry in Cyprus into new and innovative food and nutrient supplement products that meet the needs of the growing international market for carob-based products. This objective of re-establishing the carob economic sector in Cyprus will be based on the in-depth scientific analysis of key market valued properties possessed by carobs in Cyprus. The sector is responsible for the characterisation of the genetic, morpho-physiological and compositional variability of local carob genetic resources (Work package 3). Such information is crucial for the conservation of the species and the selection of most promising genotypes for cultivation to the appropriate environments. This will be accomplished through: (1) genotyping and phenotyping of indigenous carob genetic resources from the main agroecolocical zones of Cyprus where carobs are traditionally cultivated, (2) evaluation of the comparative contribution of genotype and environment effects on the variance of agronomic and technological traits, (3) characterisation of morphological, physiological and compositional changes with respect to carob fruit on-tree ripening and postharvest storage. (A. Kyratzis, M.C. Kyriacou) 33 VEGETABLE CROPS