KasTrack

 Traceability of chestnut cultivars using KASP technology for genetic fingerprinting

The KasTrack project builds upon the results of the Castarray project (CUP: B21C18000220007), which was carried out by three of the current ten partners (CREA, CNR, and an agricultural company). Castarray focused on developing an economically sustainable method for the genetic identification of chestnut cultivars and identifying the key elements for effective technology transfer.
Building on these findings, KasTrack aims to further developand implement these skills and technologies, delivering thisadvanced tool to the chestnut supply chain in Campania. Through innovation and knowledge transfer, KasTrack addresses specific challenges related to varietal identification and the nursery sector.
The project activities include:
  • The development of a genetic-spatial mapping system;
  • The creation of IT tools (such as a dedicated database);
  • The transfer of innovative protocols to control laboratories for the adoption of an easily accessible system to identifypropagation material and cultivated plants throughout allseasons and phenological stages.

The positive standards used in the analyses will consist of the most important and well-known Italian chestnut cultivars or, more broadly, genotypes with known characteristics. The project involves the entire chestnut supply chain and the entire regional territory, with training and consultancy activities aimed at ensuring open and informed access to the proposed service. The initiative targets the entire chestnut sector, with particular attention to nursery practices and bthe marketing of local agro-biodiversity.