International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

Lettuce is an important leafy vegetable for Albanians. It is mostly used as a fresh salad. There are several forms (species) of lettuce that are cultivated in Albania, but Albanian farmers cultivate and market mostly the farmer’s cultivars (landraces), which are cultivars adapted to the conditions of the country and to the farming practice of the farmer. The introduction of foreign lettuce species increases the risk of genetic erosion of the farmer’s cultivars. Through various projects, cultivars of the salad farmer have been collected and their seeds are stored in the country’s Genetic Bank. This study was undertaken to recognize the morphological characteristics, as well as to evaluate the genetic variation of these genotypes with the aim of increasing the effectiveness of their using in possible genetic improvement programs, as well as other studies. In the study, 10 accessions (farmer cultivars) collected in different areas of Albania and stored in the Genetic Bank were taken.

Albanian farmers have and continue to cultivate farmer’s bean cultivars because they are adapted to the country’s conditions and to the cultivation practice of the farmer who uses low levels of chemical fertilizers in beans. But, in the current conditions, the landraces are at risk of genetic erosion due to socio-economic changes. Therefore, our concern and obligation is to preserve the common bean farmer’s cultivars, not only to be cultivated but also to be used in genetic improvement programs. This was the aim of this study through which to know the genetic variation of the farmer’s cultivars in order to increase the effectiveness of the genetic improvement programs of this plant of great value to the people. In the study, 40 accessions (farmer’s cultivars) collected in the northeastern and eastern areas of Albania and stored in the Albanian Genetic Bank were taken.