The intimate relationship between humans and crop plants means that traces of human cultural practices become embedded in the crop genome. Genetic analyses of archaeological crop remains thus allow cultural consequences of societal change to be studied. The Canary Islands have a unique cultural history where the Hispanic colonization in the 15th century led to eradication of the indigenous culture, partial replacement of the human gene pool and a rapid transformation of the islands into a globalization hub between the Old and the New World. Although many aspects of these events are well known, the interconnections between the cultural turnover and cultivated crops have rarely been studied.In this study full genome sequencing and KASP genotyping have, for the first time, been successfully carried out on millennium old seeds of lentil (Lens culinaris). Comparisons with present day lentils reveal that indigenous lentils were kept in continuous cultivation on the Canary Islands until the present. We suggest that this was facilitated by a gendered division of agricultural responsibilities and inheritance as well as adaptation to the local climate. We confirm a previously suggested long-term inter-island isolation prior to the arrival of Europeans and demonstrate continuous lentil cultivation also on islands where they were believed lost prior to the arrival of Europeans. The results furthermore hint to a role of Canarian lentils in the cultivation and consumption of lentils on the European mainland. To conclude, this first analysis of ancient lentil DNA show how understudied archaeological plant remains can reveal aspects of past cultures not documented in written records.

Although being a historical farming practise, little research has been performed on intercropping pea with faba bean, and no study has previously tested traditional varieties in this species combination. To evaluate the influence of variety and seeding ratio on grain yield in pea-faba bean intercropping, a field experiment was conducted over three years (2021–2023) under organic management in southern Sweden. The experiment included a set of three faba bean varieties, and nine traditional and one modern pea variety. Total yield (sum of both species) of the intercrops with traditional pea varieties varied from around 0.44 to 4.9 t ha−1 across all years and treatments, and several of the intercrop combinations were as productive as pure stands of modern varieties (both species). When compared in intercropping, some traditional pea varieties produced higher pea yield than the modern variety. There was a big difference among pea varieties in their competitiveness toward the intercropped faba bean. By using traditional varieties, it was possible to find matching maturity times and segregating seed sizes between the two species. Intercropping did generally not influence time to pod maturity or seed size. Traditional pea varieties suffered from severe lodging in pure stands and gained improved standing ability when intercropped with faba bean. This study has shown that intercropping pea with faba bean can facilitate the production of traditional pea varieties that lack proper standing ability on their own; however, different varieties require different seeding ratios for optimal performance.

The transition to more diversified protein sources presents legumes, such as peas, as excellent alternatives to animal protein. In light of this shift, understanding the sensory variation of pea genetic resources becomes crucial in broadening their appeal and promoting greater consumption. This study aimed to identify key factors influencing the sensory attributes of landrace peas, including variety (accession), location (geographical area of cultivation), and harvest year. Through a quantitative descriptive sensory analysis of six Swedish landrace pea accessions, cultivated over 1–2 years in three different Nordic countries, we analyzed the sensory attributes in detail and evaluated potential interactions between the pea accessions, their respective growing locations, and the varying harvest years. The results show that the sensory variation in the studied landrace pea accessions is primarily attributed to the chosen accession, despite the differences in location and harvest year. Notably, the results also reveal the potential impact of the location on the perceived sourness and umami taste of peas. These findings underscore the critical role of careful variety selection and breeding to enhance the sensory experience of peas, enabling the development of diverse pea-based products that cater to consumer preferences.

Hordeum vulgare var. nudum (naked barley) is one of the oldest and most common cereals found from Neolithic Fennoscandia. After the Bronze Age, naked barley largely disappeared and was replaced by Hordeum vulgare var. vulgare (hulled barley) and other cereals. During the early 19th century, naked barley of Asian origins was reintroduced to Fennoscandia. In this study, we have genetically characterized samples of Fennoscandian landraces of naked barley which were preserved in gene banks and museum collections. The analyses show that the Fennoscandian naked barley can be split into three groups: First, naked two-row barley, with a likely origin in Asia; second, naked six-row barley, with a likely origin in the eastern Himalayas and introduced during the 19th century; third, naked six-row barley genetically related to the original Fennoscandian hulled barley. The results suggest that this last group represents the ancient form of naked barley, which was possibly introduced in the Neolithic. At that time both naked and hulled barleys were grown and enough gene flow probably occurred between these two subspecies to create a Fennoscandian barley that is genetically distinct, irrespective of whether it is hulled or naked. This hypothesis was further supported by genotyping of the Nud gene, which is responsible for the naked phenotype. All naked barleys which we studied contained the same mutation allele, nud1.a, thus showing that naked Fennoscandian barley arose by crossings between naked and hulled barley and not by new mutations of hulled barley. 

Landraces are described as genetically diverse, dynamic populations of unimproved crops. However, studying the development of a landrace population over longer periods of time has rarely been done due to a lack of suitable archaeological materials. The indigenous grain silos of Gran Canaria provide a unique opportunity for genetically analysing multiple specimens from the same time period as well as sampling the same population at multiple time points. Here we report a genetic study of a landrace barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) sampled repeatedly over a period of 1400 years. We successfully enriched extracted aDNA for the barley exome using capture techniques and present sequencing data from ten archaeological and six extant samples. The results show that the landrace barley population of Gran Canaria has not undergone any dramatic genetic turnover or influx of new genetic material since the 7th century CE, but that the scale of cultivation seems to have varied. We detect smaller temporal changes of the genetic composition during the studied period and suggest that these changes reflect natural selection for adaptation to a changing climate and a dynamic agricultural society.