Contribution to the knowledge and valorization value of “copafam”, a landrace of Phaseolus coccineus L. from the Brescia pre-Alps (northern Italy)

The runner (scarlet) bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.) is an allogamous species of the Leguminosae family, native to Mesoamerica and widely cultivated in Europe as both an ornamental plant and a food crop. It is a perennial plant with showy red or white flowers (depending on the variety) and edible pods and seeds that are larger and more digestible than those of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). A number of landraces of P. coccineus have been grown in Italy, with different seed sizes and seed coat colors. The landrace called “copafam” (Fig. 1), which is the focus of this study, is found in the pre-Alps of the Lombardy region in northern Italy, in particular in the Brescia pre-Alps (1). It was once cultivated by across a greater area but is now at risk of extinction as a result of depopulation and abandonment of mountain farms. According to hobby farmers in the province of Brescia, “copafam” can be grown only in the mountains, because in the plains (Po Plain), it would have problems both germinating and producing fruit. This study investigated the effect of elevation on the agronomic and bromatological characteristics of “copafam” beans. The goals of the study were to contribute to the knowledge of this little-known landrace, to identify the elevations most suitable for its cultivation (and thus conservation), and to explore its potential for inclusion in the Italian registry of agricultural products and for commercial exploitation by farmers in economically struggling mountain regions, such as the Lombardy pre-Alps. The agronomic characteristics of plants and the bromatological features of seeds harvested in 7 experimental fields, set up at different elevations in Northern Italy, were analyzed. Results showed that this landrace is most suitable for cultivation at higher elevations. As elevation increased from 110 to 1100 m above sea level, the plants became more vigorous and productive and the beans became larger and more digestible. This study, in addition to presenting knowledge regarding a little-known landrace, aims to be a stimulus for all those who are called to safeguard worldwide agrobiodiversity and in particular to encourage other researchers to commence similar research targeted not only at identifying and characterizing landraces and little-known traditional agricultural products but also at identifying a strategy for their valorization as an aid to sustainable development.