Table 1.

Location, climatic data, and soil characteristics for the three wild beet populations studied.

	Vaiamonte	Comporta	Oeiras
Location (GPS coordinates)	39°07′ N, 07°29′ W	38°23′ N, 08°47′ W	38°42′ N, 09°22′ W
Mean air temperature (°C)∗	15.2	16.2	16.4
Maximum temperature range (°C)#	12.5	13.5	9.7
Minimum temperature range (°C)#	5.4	9.4	5.7
n° months with negative temperature	5	6	0
Mean year rainfall (mm)∗	852	765	680
Soil texture classification	Sandy-loam	Silt-loam	Sandy-loam
Soil characteristics∗∗
Coarse sand (%)	33.04 (±1.58) a	24.58 (±3.64) a	34.36 (±4.21) a
Fine sand (%)	44.44 (±1.23) a	8.26 (±0.54) b	36.18 (±4.38) c
Silt (%)	6.94 (±0.41) a	42.00 (±2.88) b	14.40 (±1.30) c
Clay (%)	15.60 (±0.70) a	25.12 (±0.95) b	15.08 (±1.13) a
Organic matter (g Kg-1)	35.15 (±2.81) a	84.70 (±8.53) b	20.28 (±2.54) c
pH∗∗∗	6.73 (±0.43) a	5.80 (±0.17) b	8.89 (±0.20) c
Electric conductivity (dS m-1)	0.50 (±0.08) a	1.30 (±0.33) b	0.47 (±0.03) a
Main soluble cations∗∗∗∗
Ca (me L-1)	2.42 (±0.35) a,b	1.53 (±0.41) a	3.10 (±0.11) b
Mg (me L-1)	0.64 (±0.08) a	1.95 (±0.69) b	0.36 (±0.03) a
Na (me L-1)	0.59 (±0.07) a	5.65 (±1.31) a	0.79 (±0.20) a
K (me L-1)	0.79 (±0.29) a	0.76 (±0.17) b	0.27 (±0.10) a

The climatic data refers to the 1971–2000 period (climatologic normal), available at www.ipma.pt/pt/oclima/normais.clima/1971-2000. The Soil analysis refers to the upper 30 cm of the topsoil. Duncan’s post hoc test after one-way ANOVA (p < 0.05) was performed in order to: compare treatments within each genotype (a, b, c). ^∗Referring to the 1971–2000 period (climatologic normal). ^#Calculated as the minimum (or maximum) monthly temperature range; Referring to the 1971–2000 period (climatologic normal). ^∗∗Determined in five samples. ^∗∗∗Determined in a 1:5 (wt/vol) aqueous soil slurry. ^∗∗∗∗Determined in the soil water saturation extract.