Phenology study of Myrtus communis accessions selected from wild populations of Sicily: Preliminary results

Myrtus communis is a Mediterranean shrub widely diffused in Sicily. To promote the cultivation of myrtle, seven wild populations were collected from different areas of Sicily, with the aim to select new candidate cultivars in the frame of a selection program. Considering the berries value in the food industry, many efforts need to be done to cultivate myrtle as alternative to harvest from wild plants. To promote cultivation few important phenologic traits have been recorded in candidate cultivar selections from wild populations in Sicily. This study was performed in a repository field under homogeneous environmental conditions.