Genetic diversity in grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.)

Genetic diversity was investigated in 348 accessions and subaccessions of grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.) from 10 geographical regions. Polymorphism for 20 isozymes of 13 enzyme systems was studied to estimate the genetic diversity. The Near East and North Africa regions included the most variability for these isozyme systems, suggesting that the center of diversity (center of origin) for grasspea is in this general area. The lowest variability was found in accessions and subaccessions from South America, followed by those from Sudan–Ethiopia. Diversity was measured for individual loci over regions and EST-1 and SKDH had the highest genetic diversity. The closest genetic diversity was observed for LAP-2, followed by AAT-1 and PGM. The closest genetic distance existed between populations from the Near East and North Africa. Populations from South Asia and Sudan–Ethiopia, though geographically widely separated, exhibited a closer genetic distance from each other than from other regions.     

Genetic diversity among varieties of Chia (Salvia hispanica L.)

Chia, Salvia hispanica L., was a staple crop in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Despite the great potential of the species as an oilseed crop, little research related to domesticated and wild varieties exists. A study was undertaken to assess genetic diversity among 38 wild and domesticated accessions of S. hispanica collected throughout Mesoamerica by using RAPD markers. Genetic diversity was higher among wild varieties (H _G= 0.15) than all domesticated varieties (H _G= 0.10) and modern commercial domesticated varieties (H _G= 0.02), suggesting a slight loss of diversity accompanying domestication and a near lack of diversity in modern commercial varieties. In addition, the preliminary results indicate that the center of genetic diversity is in the highlands of western Mexico.     

Genetic diversity of anchote (Coccinia abyssinica (Lam.) Cogn.) from Ethiopia as revealed by ISSR markers

Anchote (Coccinia abyssinica) is plant endemic in Ethiopia with a high calcium content grown for its edible tuberous roots. In spite of its importance as food security crop, there is no information available on molecular genetic diversity of this crop. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess genetic diversity within and among 12 populations of anchote using ISSR markers. Using nine ISSR primers, a total of 87 scorable bands was generated of which 74 were polymorphic. Within population diversity based on polymorphic bands ranged from 13.8 to 43.53 % with a mean of 33.05 %, Nei’s genetic diversity of 0.04–0.156 with a mean of 0.12, Shannon information index of 0.07–0.23 with a mean of 0.175 and analysis of molecular variation (AMOVA) of 51.4 % were detected. With all diversity parameters, the highest diversity was obtained from Gimbi, Bedele and Ale populations, whilst the lowest was from Manna. AMOVA showed a 48.56 % between populations variability and significantly lower than that of within population variation. Population differentiation with F_ST was 48.56 %. From Jaccard’s pairwise similarity coefficient, Decha and Nedjo were most related populations exhibiting 0.76 similarity and Manna and Nedjo were the most distantly related populations with similarity of 0.52. The only pentanucliotide primer used in the study, Primer 880 (GGAGA)3, showed a unique band in some individuals that appeared to be associated with morphological quantitative traits (lowest seed number, high protein content, largest fruit size and smallest vine length). Illubabor and Gimbi populations exhibited highest genetic diversity so that the populations should be considered as the primary sites in designing conservation areas for this crop.     

Genetic diversity and systematic relationships in sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) and related species as revealed by RAPD analysis

Summary Fifteen 10mer primers, in combination with the Stoffel fragment, were used to detect random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPDs) among 26 accessions of sweetpotato (I. batatas (L.) Lam.) from Oceania, Peru, the Philippines, and the United States and between 8 Ipomoea species from section Batatas. Phenetic and principal coordinate analysis of the 56 polymorphisms detected within the hexaploid I. batatas clearly delineated the South Pacific and the Peruvian sweetpotato lines. The two U.S. cultivars clustered with the Oceanic materials. Cladistic and phenetic analysis of 8 Ipomoea species supports previously published phylogenies based on morphological and RFLP data. Among the species examined, I. tabascana, I. trifida and the tetraploid forms of I. batatas from Mexico and Ecuador, including I. batatas var. apiculata, are the taxa most closely related to the cultivated hexaploid I. batatas. These findings support the utility of RAPD markers for evaluating genetic diversity in sweetpotato and for establishing taxonomic and evolutionary relationships in Ipomoea.     

Analyses of genetic diversity and population structure of anchote (Coccinia abyssinica (Lam.) Cogn.) using newly developed EST-SSR markers

Anchote (Coccinia abyssinica (Lam.) Cogn.) is a perennial root crop belonging to Cucurbitaceae family. It is endemic to Ethiopia and distributed over wide range of agro-ecologies. For further improvement and efficient conservation of this crop, characterization of its genetic diversity and its pattern of distribution is a vitally important step. Expressed sequence tags-simple sequence repeats (EST-SSRs) markers were developed from publicly available watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] ESTs in the GenBank database. Among those novel markers, eight were polymorphic and subsequently used for genetic diversity and population structure analyses of 30 anchote accessions collected from western Ethiopia. A total of 24 alleles were obtained across the eight polymorphic loci and 30 accessions that revealed moderate level of genetic diversity in this minor crop. Among the eight loci, locus CA_06 was the most informative with six alleles and polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.76. The accessions showed about threefold variation in terms of genetic diversity, with expected heterozygosity (He) ranging from 0.15 (accession An) to 0.44 (accession Dg). Other accessions with higher genetic diversity include Ar and Gu (He?=?0.43 and 0.41, respectively). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that the variation within accessions and among accessions accounted for 84.7% and 15.3% of the total variation, respectively. The study revealed low but significant population differentiation in this crop with no clear pattern of population structure. The EST-SSR markers developed in this study are the first of their kind for anchote and can be used for characterization of its wider genetic resources for conservation and breeding purposes.

     

Assessing genetic diversity of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) cultivars from tropical America using AFLP

The sweet potato genebank at the International Potato Center (CIP) maintains 5,526 cultivated I. batatas accessions from 57 countries. Knowledge of the genetic structure in this collection is essential for rational germplasm conservation and utilization. Sixty-nine sweet potato cultivars from 4 geographical regions (including 13 countries) of Latin America were randomly sampled and fingerprinted using AFLP markers. A total of 210 polymorphic and clearly scorable fragments were generated. A geographic pattern of diversity distribution was revealed by mean similarity, multidimensional scaling (MDS), and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA). The highest genetic diversity was found in Central America, whereas the lowest was in Peru-Ecuador. The within-region variation was the major source of molecular variance. The between-regions variation, although it only explains 10.0% of the total diversity, is statistically significant. Cultivars from Peru-Ecuador, with the lowest level of within region diversity, made the most significant contribution to the between region differentiation. These results support the hypothesis that Central America is the primary center of diversity and most likely the center of origin of sweet potato. Peru-Ecuador should be considered as a secondary center of sweet potato diversity.     

Genetic diversity and population structure of vegetable soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) in China as revealed by SSR markers

Vegetable soybean is a kind of value-added specialty soybean serving as vegetable or snacks. Understanding the genetic structure of vegetable soybean is a key point for further utilization in breeding programs. In the present study, the genetic structure and diversity of 100 vegetable soybean accessions planted in China was analyzed using 53 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. A total of 296 alleles were detected with an average of 5.6 alleles per SSR locus. The polymorphism information content (PIC) values of SSR markers ranged from 0.074 to 0.831, with an average of 0.573. Nei’s genetic distance between accessions ranged from 0 to 0.9434 with an average of 0.6286. These vegetable soybean germplasms could be divided into 8 subgroups based on STRUCTURE analysis, or 11 subgroups based on unweighted pair group method with arithmetic average (UPGMA) cluster. Further comparison showed that the UPGMA subgroups and STRUCTURE subgroups were in fact highly consistent. Germplasms in each classified groups showed great consistency with their origins, seed coat colors or pedigrees. Genetic relationships among germplasm panels that initially came from different geographical regions were also analyzed. Germplasm panels from China Mainland, Taiwan Island and Japan were highly similar to each other with the similarities of over 98 %. Molecular data and cluster analysis also showed that germplasms from China Mainland are more diverse than those from other areas. These results gave us a deep insight into the genetic structure of vegetable soybeans in China and will help us to improve the breeding strategies.     

Genetic diversity and structure of natural and agronomic switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) populations

Panicum virgatum L. (switchgrass) is an obligate outcrossing C₄ perennial prairie grass currently being pursued for the production of lignocellulosic ethanol. Commercial production of switchgrass for bioenergy has increased substantially in the United States. Understanding the degree of native genetic diversity within and among switchgrass populations will facilitate effective germplasm improvement, conservation, and management programs. In this study, the genetic diversity and differentiation among natural and agronomic switchgrass populations were analyzed at the molecular level by using random amplified polymorphic (RAPD) DNA markers. The mean genetic diversity among populations ranged from 0.051 ± 0.136 to 0.243 ± 0.214 and the mean genetic similarity among all the switchgrass populations was 0.775. The clustering pattern of switchgrass populations grouped the individuals based on their sites of origin, with agronomic cultivars predominantly separated into distinct clusters. The grouping of individuals within and across the populations was corroborated by principal component analysis. These results are consistent with previous reports for switchgrass accessions. RAPD DNA markers were suitable for quickly estimating the genetic diversity of native and agronomic switchgrass populations, and suggest that introgression of agronomic genes into natural switchgrass populations and subsequent changes in genetic structure may be detectable.     

A phenotypic diversity analysis of foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.) landraces of Chinese origin

A total of 23 381 foxtail millet landraces of Chinese origin were analysed for seven qualitative traits and four quantitative traits. The Shannon-Weaver diversity index was used to estimate the phenotypic diversity of each characteristic on the basis of administrative provinces and ecogeographical regions. Hierarchical analysis of variance indicated that most of the variation was due to differences among characteristics. Only the diversity indices for leaf color of seedlings, starch composition and 1000-grain weight showed significant differences among regions. In relative terms, a greater genetic divergence was found in some provinces of southern China, where foxtail millet is not a major crop.     

Analysis of genetic diversity of Ruthenia Medic (Medicago ruthenica (L.) Trautv.) in Inner Mongolia using ISSR and SSR markers

Ruthenia Medic is tolerant to drought, cold, high salinity, resistance to trampling and high quality features. Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) molecular markers were employed for the first time to access the genetic diversity and relationships of 30 wild Ruthenia Medic accessions obtained from Inner Mongolia in the present study. A total of 94 bands were amplified by ten ISSR primers, of which 83 (88.5 %) were polymorphic, and 57 polymorphic bands (80.4 %) were observed in 69 bands amplified by ten SSR primers. Shannon’s information index (I = 0.487), and average expected heterozygosis (He = 0.329) generated by ISSR primer were higher than that of SSR analysis (I = 0.372, He = 0.231). The study indicated that ISSR were more effective than SSR markers for assessing the degree of genetic variation of Ruthenia Medic. UPGMA cluster analysis revealed inconsistencies in the clustering patterns, as the Mantel’s test between the dendrograms for ISSR and SSR data indicated a poor fit for the ISSR and SSR data types (r = 0.0970). Whereas the pattern of clustering of the genotypes remained relatively the same in ISSR and combined data of ISSR and SSR. The results of principal components analysis also supports their UPGMA clustering. These results have an important implication for Ruthenia Medic germplasm characterization, improvement, and conservation.     

Genetic structure,clonality and diversity in commercial pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - The pomegranate fruit is one of the most important horticultural products due to the presence of polyphenols, anti-oxidant and anti-fungal compounds. In the...     

Genetic diversity among Polish landraces of common oat (Avena sativa L.)

All over the world about 220,000 accessions of the genus Avena is preserved in gene banks. Polish oats collection, in the National Centre for Plant Genetic Resources, consists of about 2,500 accessions. More than 80 % of them belong to the species Avena sativa. Only 136 accessions have the landrace or traditional cultivar status and 91 of them were collected in Poland. The main objective of this study was to estimate genetic diversity of a set of 67 Polish landraces using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. We also tried to determine whether genetic diversity depended on the region and altitude of collection site and if there was a relationship between DNA polymorphism and some morphological traits. The accessions were collected between years 1973 and 1999 from areas of Northern, Southern and Eastern Poland. The obtained results indicated a relatively low diversity (0.09–0.37) of the common oat landraces. Analysis of molecular variation (AMOVA) showed that there were no significant differences within designated geographic regions. It indicated that at the same time the altitude of collection site had significant effect on the genetic differentiation of the accessions. AMOVA also showed the presence of variance between groups formed on the basis of the colour of lemma. White lemma accessions were also characterized by highest genetic distinctiveness. Considering the evident impact of local climatic conditions on the genetic distinctiveness of Polish landraces utility of them in the Polish breeding programs should be considered.     

Genetic diversity and erosion in lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) in Northeast Brazil

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) is a crop that stands out for its economic and social importance throughout the world, including in Northeast Brazil....     

Changes in the diversity and geographic distribution of cultivated millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) varieties in Niger between 1976 and 2003

Changes in the diversity of landraces in centres of diversity of cultivated plants need to be assessed in order to monitor and conserve agrobioversity—a key-element of sustainable agriculture. This notably applies in tropical areas where factors such as increased populations, climate change and shifts in cropping systems are hypothesized to cause varietal erosion. To assess varietal erosion of staple crops in a country subjected to various anthropogenic and natural environmental changes, we carried out a study based on a comparison of the diversity of pearl millet and sorghum varieties collected in 79 villages spanning the entire cereal-growing zone of Niger over a 26 year period (1976–2003). For these two crops, the number, name and type of varieties according to important traits for farmers were considered at different spatial scales (country, region, village) at the two collection dates. The results confirmed the high diversity of millet and sorghum varieties in Niger. No erosion of varietal diversity was noted on a national scale during the period covered. Some changes were observed but were limited to the geographical distribution of certain varieties. This highlights that farmers’ management can preserve the diversity of millet and sorghum varieties in Niger despite recurrent and severe drought periods and major social changes. It also indicates that rainfed cereal cropping systems in Niger should remain to be based on millet and sorghum, while reinforcing farmers’ seed systems.