Horticulturae (Aug 2022)

The New Green Challenge in Urban Planning: The Right Genetics in the Right Place

  • Silvia Farinati,
  • Angelo Betto,
  • Fabio Palumbo,
  • Francesco Scariolo,
  • Alessandro Vannozzi,
  • Gianni Barcaccia

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8090761
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 9
p. 761

Abstract

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The creation of green areas within urban centers was born as a response to profoundly different problems, such as the demographic increase and the progressive urbanization of landscapes. Moreover, up to date, the genetics of plants has not been considered for urban contexts. The purpose of this review is to discuss the state of the art and the advantages in planning genetic improvement for plants for urban destinations, also providing technical information, that may contribute in a concrete way. Firstly, recent genomic sources and their potential contribution to breeding programs are discussed. Then, dividing the urban scenarios into four macro areas (i.e., urban/metropolitan parks, urban gardens, road verges and roofs/terraces/balconies), we described the role of genetics in the adaptability and sustainability of plants in these different contexts. In addition, we analyzed the genetic traits plants need to provide services for a city environment and population (e.g., pollution reduction, biodiversity conservation, soil stability, and food production).

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