Previous studies indicate biomass and grain production for energy purposes as potential utilizations of the three Cynara cardunculus botanical varieties (globe artichoke, cultivated cardoon, and wild cardoon). In this work, the results of C. cardunculus biomass and grain yield under Sicilian (south Italy) low input conditions are shown. Over a 3 year period on the plain of Catania (South Italy) six genotypes of C. cardunculus, including 1 cultivated cardoon cultivar, 1 globe artichoke line, 1 wild cardoon ecotype, 3 F-1 progenies: "globe artichoke x wild cardoon", "globe artichoke x cultivated cardoon" and "cultivated cardoon x wild cardoon", were evaluated for lignocellulosic biomass production, energy yield and grain yield. On a 3 year average, the dry aboveground biomass and grain yield resulted, respectively, about 2000 g plant(-1) and 100 g plant(-1) in "globe artichoke x wild cardoon", 1720 and 126 g plant(-1) in cultivated cardoon, 1570 and 90 g plant(-1) in "globe artichoke x cultivated cardoon", 1480 and 109 g plant(-1) in "cultivated cardoon x wild cardoon", 1116 and 75 g plant(-1) in wild cardoon and 990 and 60 g plant(-1) in globe artichoke. The results showed that genotypes deriving from the cross of globe artichoke with cultivated and wild cardoon improved the performance both of globe artichoke and wild cardoon separately. It is reasonable to expect further improvements for biomass and grain yield in C. cardunculus in the future by breeding work. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.