Effects of farmers' seed management on performance and adaptation of pearl millet in Rajasthan, India

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum [L.]R.Br.) is the staple food and fodder crop of farmers in the semi-arid areas of north-west India. The majority of farmer sin western Rajasthan depend on their own seed production and employ different seed production strategies that involve different levels of modern-variety introgression into landraces as well as different selection methods. This study quantifies the effects of three seed management strategies on environmental adaptation and trait performance. Forty-eight entries representing farmers’ grain stocks — pure landraces or landraces with introgressed germ plasm from modern varieties — as well as 33 modern varieties, multiplied by breeders or farmers, were evaluated in field trials at three different locations over two years under varying drought-stress conditions. Results indicate that the plant characteristics employed by farmers in describing adaptive value and productivity is an effective approach in discriminating the type of millet adapted to stress and non-stress conditions. It was also found that introgression of modern varieties(MVs) leads to populations with a broader adaptation ability in comparison to pure landraces or MVs alone – but only if MV introgression is practised regularly and is combined with mass panicle selection. Under high-rainfall conditions, farmer grain stocks with MV introgression show similar productivity levels as modern varieties. Under lessening rainfall, pure landraces show, in tendency, higher grain yields. In conclusion, farmers’ seed management could form an integral part of participatory breeding programs. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Spanish onion landraces (Allium cepa L.) as sources of germplasm for breeding calçots: a morphological and molecular survey

Calçots are the immature floral stems of second-year resprouts of the ‘Blanca Tardana de Lleida’ (BTL) onion landrace, and to date, breeding has used only a few populations. So, we aimed to increase our knowledge of the variability of BTL and to explore its characteristics and genetic dissimilarity with other varieties that might be used in calçot breeding programs. We analyzed the agronomic and morphological traits of four populations of BTL, two synthetic varieties of BTL, 20 prestigious Spanish landraces, and 4 exotic onion landraces. Furthermore, we used three combinations of AFLP primers and seven microsatellites to analyze their genetic background. The Spanish landraces (including BTL) shared a large part of their genetic background, which showed considerable variability (heterozygosity around 0.5). Morphological traits also had high variability, so multiple breeding strategies can be used, ranging from intravarietal selection to crossings between populations to take advantage of the heterosis, both for the bulb and for the calçot improvement.     

新疆冬小麦品种农艺及产量性状遗传多样性分析

Grain yield is one of the most important goals in wheat breeding, and agronomic or yield-related traits can directly reflect the characteristics of varieties. In order to determine the evolution of genetic diversity in agronomic traits of Xinjiang winter wheat varieties and their adaptabilities to different ecological environments, 134 winter wheat landraces and 54 moderns bred varieties from Xinjiang were selected for agronomic trait investigation. They were planted in three different ecological environments (Urumqi and Yining in Xinjiang province, and Tai’an in Shandong province) for two consecutive growth seasons, and nine agronomic and yield-related traits were surveyed and analyzed. The estimated broad sense heritability of nine agronomic and yield traits was in descending order: plant height > grain width > grain length/width ratio > spike length > spikelet number > thousand- kernel weight > grain number per spike > grain length > fertile spikelet number. Correlation analyses of nine agronomic and yield traits showed that these traits were correlated with each other. It was found that the plant height, spike length and grain length/width ratio of landraces were higher than that in modern bred varieties, but the grain number per spike, thousand kernel weight, grain length and grain width in landraces were less than that in modern bred varieties. However, the correlation coefficient of these nine traits was higher in modern bred varieties than that in landraces. These variations reflected the evolution of Xinjiang winter wheat varieties in agronomic traits in recent years. This study may provide important information for breeders to select the breeding parents in different winter wheat regions.     

Genetic variation and interrelationships of agronomic characters in landraces of bread wheat from southeastern Iran

There is renewed interest in wheat landraces as important sources of genetic variation for agronomic characters. Fifty-three pure lines of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) derived from seven landraces collected from southeastern Iran were used to estimate genetic variation and heritability for 13 developmental and quantitative characters. Path-analysis was used to partition the genetic correlations between grain yield and six grain yield-related traits. Mean values of landraces were also compared with three improved cultivars from California and Iran. Genotypic differences among the landraces and among the pure lines collected from the landraces were highly significant for all characters considered. Compared with the modern cultivars, the landrace genotypes were, on average, later in days to heading and taller than the cultivars but had lower values for number of grains per spike, 1000-grain weight, grain yield and harvest index. Some landrace genotypes were similar to the modern cultivars for grain yield. Moderate to high genetic variation was displayed by number of grains per spike, number of spikes per plant, 1000-grain weight, and harvest index. The heritability estimates ranged from 59% for grain yield to 99% for days to anthesis. Expected genetic advance (as % of the mean) was ≈34% for number of spikes per plant, number of grains per spike, and 1000-grain weight. Days to heading and to anthesis correlated positively with number of spikes per plant, shoot biomass, and straw biomass but negatively with number of grains per spike and harvest index. The strong direct effect of number of spikes per plant on grain yield was completely counterbalanced by its indirect negative effects via number of grains per spike and 1000-grain weight. Number of grains per spike and 1000-grain weight were positively correlated with grain yield, and they had large direct effects. These two characters, however, were negatively correlated and exhibited a substantial counterbalance effect via one another and via number of spikes per plant. The landraces could be improved by intercrossing the promising genotypes identified in this study, with simultaneous selection for earliness, fewer number of spikes per plant, greater number of grains per spike and heavier grains. For further improvement, crossing programs between the landraces and introduced germplasm may be necessary. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Spanish barley landraces outperform modern cultivars at low‐productivity sites

Barley landraces from the western Mediterranean area have not been thoroughly exploited by modern breeding. This study aims at assessing the agronomic value of a core collection of lines derived from landraces of Spanish origin and to compare them with sets of successful old and modern cultivars. The agronomic performance of a set of 175 barley genotypes, comprising 159 landrace‐derived lines and 26 cultivars, was evaluated in a series of 10 field trials, carried out over 3 years and several locations. The most relevant trait of the landraces was higher grain yield at low production sites than cultivars, which may be related with better ability to fill the grain under stressful conditions. On the other hand, lateness, excessive plant height and lodging were negative traits frequently found in the landraces. Large genotype‐by‐environment interaction (GEI) for grain yield was detected, related partly with differences between germplasm groups, probably indicating local adaptation. GEI was also associated with the interaction of heading time and powdery mildew resistance with temperature.     

Genetic diversity in barley landraces from Syria and Jordan

Summary Single-head progenies derived from barley landraces collected along the Fertile Crescent in Syria and Jordan were evaluated for agronomic, morphological, and quality traits in a typical barley growing area in Northern Syria. A large diversity was observed both between and within collection sites, and in most cases the variation was useful for breeding purposes. Single plant progenies were identified with larger yields and more desirable expressions of agronomic characters than the original landraces. The utilization of this material in a breeding program for dry areas is discussed.     

Characterizing the molecular and morphophysiological diversity of Italian red clover

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is the third major forage species in Europe, but there is limited information on the biodiversity and the genetic structure of landraces and natural populations which evolved in this region. The objective of this study was producing such information for Italian germplasm on the ground of molecular and morphophysiological diversity. The study included 16 Italian natural populations from a wide range of environments, four landraces representing the four traditional commercial ecotypes, and two varieties. Eight morphophysiological traits were assessed in a replicated trial under field conditions, whereas two AFLPs primer combinations with 140 polymorphic markers were recorded on a random sample of 13 genotypes per population. Ordination and classification results based on morphophysiological data clearly kept track of the type of germplasm (i.e. landrace or natural population) and its geographic origin, unlike results based on molecular markers. Euclidean distances among populations based on morphophysiological traits were not correlated with Nei’s genetic distances based on molecular markers according to Mantel’s test. Geographical distances among landrace or natural population material was correlated with distances based on morphophysiological traits but not with those based on molecular markers. The average within-population variation estimated via molecular markers was about 2.6-fold higher than that among populations, preventing an acceptable discrimination among most populations. On average, natural populations tended to have within-population variation similar to varieties and somewhat lower than landraces. Our results have implications for collection, conservation, exploitation and registration in a sui generis system of red clover genetic resources.     

Identification of salt tolerance‐improving quantitative trait loci alleles from a salt‐susceptible rice breeding line by introgression breeding

To improve salt tolerance of two elite rice varieties, Ce258 and Zhongguangxiang1 (ZGX1), two sets of introgression lines (ILs) each comprising 200 BC₁F₁₀ lines derived from a common donor, IR75862, and two recipient parents, Ce258 and ZGX1, were used for mapping of QTLs for four salt tolerance‐related traits at the seedling stage. Although the three parents were susceptible to salt, the two IL populations showed transgressive segregations for salt tolerance with 12 and 8 salt tolerance ILs in the Ce258‐ILs and ZGX1‐ILs. Eighteen main‐effect QTLs were identified for the four traits in the two IL populations, and the IR75862 alleles at most loci showed increased and decreased salt tolerance in the ZGX1 and Ce258 backgrounds, suggesting overwhelming genetic background effects on QTL detection for salt tolerance. The qDSS11 simultaneously detected in the two backgrounds was validated in a F₂ population derived from a salt tolerance line and ZGX1. Our results indicated that salt tolerance‐enhancing allele could be identified in the elite susceptible breeding lines and that introgression of the favourable alleles could facilitate the development of superior lines with greater salt tolerance levels.     

Line selection for exploiting durum wheat (T. turgidum L. var. durum) local landraces in modern variety development program

Summary Pure line selection for grain yield applied within four durum wheat local landraces (Triticum turgidum L. var durum) was studied in an effort to determine: (i) the agronomic performance of selected line mixtures (bulks) and their value as potential new cultivars, (ii) the effectiveness of pure line selection for grain yield within local landraces and (iii) the correlated selection response of yield components and kernel quality traits. Four local durum wheat landraces were used. Two of them, Mytilini-1 and Mytilini-2 are still cropped in some rural areas of the island Mytilini whereas the other two, Limnos and Mavragani are maintained in the Greek Gene Bank. Following their preliminary evaluation for agronomic performance under current growing conditions, 100 individual plants from each landrace were randomly selected. Selected plants (pure lines) were field evaluated head to row during 1997–98 and 1998–99 growing seasons. Based on grain yield performance, bidirectional selection, high vs low, was practised within each landrace. Thus the five higher yielding lines and their corresponding lower ones from each landrace were identified. Selected lines, with no further progeny testing, were pooled using a balanced seed composite to form the high yielding five line bulk and its respective low counterpart. The resulting 16 bulks (eight high and eight low) along with their four source landraces and two commercial varieties, Mexicalli and Simmeto, used as checks, entered field testing for agronomic performance in two and one location during 1999–00 and 2000–01 growing seasons respectively. Data for grain yield and yield components (1000 kernel weight, number of kernels, and productive tillers) along with kernel quality data (protein content and vitreous) were recorded. Data for grain yield indicated that the landraces studied seemed to be line mixtures, as expected, since they responded to bidirectional phenotypic pure line selection. The high yielding bulks were of interesting agronomic performance, equivalent to or significantly better than that of the commercial checks and are worth further testing as potential cultivars. Selected high bulks of Mytilini 2 landrace significantly outyielded both the source landrace and the commercial checks maintaining the high protein content of the source landrace, which was significantly higher than checks. This performance provides evidence that the within landraces selection of lines combining high grain yield with high protein content seems to be feasible. In conclusion, evidence is presented that genetic variability seems to be available within the landraces studied which could be worth using in breeding programs. Furthermore the simple pure line selection breeding effort undertaken seemed to be effective in developing line bulks with promising performance and worth further testing as potential cultivars.     

Diversity, genetic structure, distinctness and agronomic value of Italian lucerne (Medicago sativaL.) landraces

Eleven landraces belonging to the seven commercial ecotypes of northern Italy, and seven elite varieties, were evaluated with the aims of: (i) comparing landrace and variety germplasm for dry weight (DW, recorded across three harvests spanning over two years) and morphophysiological characteristics; (ii) estimating among-population (s _A ²) and within-population (s _W ²) genetic variances of landrace and variety germplasms; (iii) investigating the interrelationships among traits at the plant and the population levels; (iv) exploring patterns of phenotypic diversity, and the relationships between diversity and environmental variables at landrace collecting sites; and (v) assessing the distinctness of ecotypes. Some 256 or 512 genotypes per landrace, and 128 genotypes per variety, were grown in dense stand in an unreplicated design together with a replicated clone. Compared with varieties, landrace material showed higher total DW (+9%) and DW at the last harvest (+43%), lower (2.5-fold) summer mortality and autumn dormancy (P< 0.01), and similar winter mortality. Landraces exhibited a greater s _W ²value than varieties for all traits except autumn dormancy and number of florets per inflorescence (P< 0.01), with s _W ²always exceeding s _A ²(P< 0.01). The ratio of s _W ²to s _A ²averaged 23.1 for landraces and 6.5 for varieties across eight traits. Frequency of mowing at collecting sites was associated with higher total DW, better persistence, lower summer and winter mortality, larger leaflets and more stems per plant (r≥ 0.66, P< 0.05). Cluster analysis showed that landraces geographically close or belonging to the same commercial ecotype tended to greater similarity. However, one landrace that evolved under very frequent mowing differed greatly from other landraces of the same ecotype. Based on discriminant analysis, two ecotypes may be sufficiently distinct for registration in a sui generissystem, even though they may not meet the criteria for registration under a homegenity requirement     

利用品质性状的回交选择导入系挖掘水稻抗纹枯病QTL

将优质、抗纹枯病的高秆供体Tarom Molaii和Binam导入半矮秆IR64和特青背景,培育品质性状回交选择构建的4个导入系群体IR64/Tarom Molaii、特青/Tarom Molaii、IR64/Binam和特青/Binam,定位了影响水稻抗纹枯病病级(disease scale, DS)、相对病斑高度(relative lesion height, RH)和株高(plant height, PH)的QTL。结果表明,4个导入系群体的DS与RH高度相关,两者与PH呈显著负相关。导入系后代各性状均呈现超亲分离,出现抗性明显优于双亲的抗病个体,其中40%左右属半矮秆抗病类型。采用单向方差分析,在这4个群体中分别定位到10、8、8和6个影响3个性状的QTL,多数基因座上降低DS和RH即增强抗病性同时增加株高的等位基因均来自两个供体。未在同一供体两个不同背景下检测到影响3个性状的相同QTL,表明抗纹枯病QTL表达有明显的遗传背景效应。PH与DS及PH与RH被定位在同一个显著标记位点的QTL数分别占两个性状QTL总数的38%和52%,表明水稻纹枯病抗性与株高关系密切,两者存在许多连锁位点。与以往相同群体品质性状QTL的定位结果相比,发现品质性状QTL与抗纹枯病QTL大多分布在染色体的不同区域,彼此独立遗传。对利用目标性状选择导入系定位非目标性状QTL的效果、影响因素及育种应用进行了探讨,强调了目标性状选择导入系对非目标性状QTL发掘及育种应用的重要性。     

Genetic variation among lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) landraces from Southeast Turkey

The molecular characterization of cultivated plant genepools is of foremost importance for germplasm utilization in plant breeding. However, no comprehensive genetic fingerprinting of Turkish lentil landraces existed so far. To overcome this gap, 38 lentil landraces from southeast Turkey, together with six commercial varieties, were molecularly characterized using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) molecular markers. The ISSR analysis, performed with 14 primers, yielded 105 polymorphic bands and the AFLP analysis, carried out with six primer combinations, amplified 119 polymorphic fragments. Even though the AFLP produced more bands per primer combinations, the ISSR detected more polymorphisms. Unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic means dendrograms based on Jaccard similarities obtained from three data sets: (i) ISSR, (ii) AFLP and (iii) combined ISSR and AFLP data, were similar and separated the landraces into two main groups. Turkish lentil landraces exhibited considerable genetic diversity. One landrace from Karacadag/Diyarbakir region was significantly different from the rest of the germplasm analysed. Jaccard distances highlighted sharp differences among landraces over short geographic distances. The knowledge of regional differentiation has practical utility in the management of germplasm and in breeding programmes.     

Variation within and among Ladino white clover ecotypes for agronomic traits

Summary One set of 285 genotypes from three landraces and one natural population and a second set of 165 genotypes from two landraces and one natural population were evaluated in separate trials. Variation among populations was mostly accounted for by the difference between landrace and natural population genotype groups, the former showing features related to higher seed yield and short-term aerial dry matter (DM) yield and to lower persistence, cold tolerance and protein content. Compared to variance among ecotypes, that within ecotypes was never lower and it was at least four-fold higher for important traits such as aerial and total (aerial plus stolon) DM yield, stolon density, production of seed heads and cold tolerance. Landraces and natural populations showed similar levels of intra-population variation for all traits except cold tolerance, for which landraces tended to somewhat greater variation. Trait associations were less definite at the genotype level than what previously found in terms of mean values of the ecotypes. This finding and the relatively high broad sense heritability which was observed for all components of DM and seed yield can support the breeding activity on this clover. The level of variation and of heritability found for protein content do not suggest the routine evaluation of this trait in breeding programmes.     

Cisgenesis and genome editing: combining concepts and efforts for a smarter use of genetic resources in crop breeding

Plant genetic resources (PGR) represent valuable sources of genetic variability for crop breeding. The development of novel biotechnologies is necessary for increasing the efficiency of their use in pre‐breeding and breeding work. The genome sequencing of hundreds of genotypes and the mining of allele diversity in major crops and populations of landraces and wild relatives allow the isolation of genes underlying characters of interest and their precise modification or transfer into targeted varieties. The technological developments and applications of new plant breeding techniques (NPBT) that maximize the similarity with gene transfer by crossing (cisgenesis/intragenesis) or the accuracy of biotechnological approaches (genome editing) are reviewed. Their potentialities and current limitations as well as the possible advantages of using them separately or combined for the exploitation of PGR in crop breeding are also discussed. Above‐mentioned NPBT tackle some objections to the application of biotechnologies in agriculture and are under review worldwide to assess the possible exclusion from the current regulation systems for genetically modified plants.     

Performance of durum wheat landraces in a Mediterranean environment (eastern Sicily)

Summary The evaluation aimed at identifying landrace genotypes adapted to the rather unfavourable growing conditions of durum wheat in Sicily, to be used as parental material in a breeding programme. The trial was carried out in three seasons experiencing varying climatic conditions, and included 75 landraces, 25 of which were selected under severe drought in Syria. Wide differences were observed for most traits among genotypes and seasons of evaluation. Yields of the best performing entries identified in each season never significantly differed from that of the best check variety. The top-yielding landraces were consistently better than the remaining entries for the three yield components, viz. number of spikes per plant, number of kernels per spike and mean kernel weight. In the driest season they were also significantly earlier in heading, confirming the importance of earliness under drought. An analytical breeding approach relying on an array of morpho-physiological traits as selection criteria did not seem appropriate for the given environment, as the variable stress level enhanced the importance of specific traits under specific situations. The genotypic response was largely season-specific. Nonetheless, five landraces were in the best group in all seasons. The selection made in Syria also appeared somewhat effective in Sicily, particularly in the less favourable seasons.     

Molecular markers in Brassica oilseed breeding: current status and future possibilities

As PCR techniques have developed over the last 15 years, a wealth of new DNA marker technologies have arisen which have enabled the generation of high‐density molecular maps for all the major Brassica crop species. Molecular markers have also been heavily used in analyses of genetic diversity in Brassica crops. The majority of the work utilizing molecular markers in Brassica oilseed breeding has to date been based on genetic mapping using various DNA marker systems in segregating populations generated for specific investigations of particular traits of interest. For numerous qualitative traits, traditional mapping approaches have led to the development of marker‐assisted selection strategies in oilseed Brassica breeding, and in some cases to map‐based cloning of the responsible genes. For quantitative traits, however, it has become apparent that traditional mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL) is often not sufficient to develop effective markers for trait introgression or for identification of the genes responsible. In this case, allele‐trait association studies in non‐structured genetic populations represent an interesting new approach, provided the degree of gametic phase disequilibrium between the QTL and the marker loci is sufficient. Because Brassica species represent the closest crop plant relatives to the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, significant progress will be achieved in the coming years through integration of candidate gene approaches in crop brassicas, using the detailed information now available for the Arabidopsis genome. Integration of information from the model plant with the increasing supply of data from physical mapping and sequencing of the diploid Brassica genomes will undoubtedly give great insight into the genetics underlying both simple and complex traits in oilseed rape. This review describes the current use of available genetic marker technologies in oilseed rape breeding and provides an outlook for use of new technologies, including single‐nucleotide polymorphism markers, candidate gene approaches and allele‐trait association studies.     

湖南省玉米地方品种表型性状综合评价及类群划分

选取139份湖南省玉米地方品种进行表型性状大田鉴定,分析其表型多样性,通过聚类分析和主成分分析对其进行类群划分和表型综合评价。不同性状变异系数为6.5%~175.0%,平均为41.8%,Shanon-Weaver多样性指数为1.119~2.086,平均为1.839。14个农艺性状的主成分分析结果显示,6个主成分累计贡献率为81.7379%。聚类分析结果显示,所有品种可划分为3个类群,3个类群又分别可以划分为3、2和3个亚群。湘南丘陵山地玉米区和湘西山地玉米区为专用玉米主要聚集区域,湘西山地玉米区同时为普通玉米优良种质聚集区。根据地方品种大田综合表现,筛选出表现优异的地方品种22份。湖南玉米地方品种具有丰富的表型多样性,筛选出的优异种质可为湖南玉米种质的创新利用提供重要资源。     

新疆冬小麦地方品种与育成品种基于SNP芯片的遗传多样性分析

新疆是我国西北重要的小麦优势产区和消费区。解析新疆冬小麦地方品种与育成品种之间的遗传多样性和亲缘关系,对新疆冬小麦育种中杂交组合的合理选配以及后代选择具有重要的指导意义。本研究利用小麦55K SNP(single nucleotide polymorphism)芯片对134份新疆冬小麦地方品种及54份育成品种进行全基因组扫描,估算其品种间的遗传距离,揭示其遗传多样性。结果表明,所有SNP位点的多态性比率达到95.62%(50,743/53,063)。每条染色体分布1068～2616个多态性位点,多态性标记在基因组间分布呈现ABD。188个品种间的两两遗传距离在0.002～0.723之间,平均为0.378。其中134个地方品种两两之间的遗传距离在0.002～0.400之间,平均为0.070; 54个育成品种两两之间的遗传距离在0.004～0.337之间,平均为0.114; 134个地方品种与54个育成品种之间的遗传距离在0.605～0.723之间,平均为0.699。聚类结果显示可将所有材料分为10个不同类群。综合SNP和系谱分析,育成品种与地方品种之间的遗传差异最大,其次是育成品种之间,而地方品种之间遗传差异最小。鉴于育成与地方品种之间较大的遗传差异,新疆冬小麦品种可以利用地方种来丰富其育种的种质基础,拓宽遗传背景,进而提高当地小麦育种水平。本研究为新疆冬小麦品种选育和改良提供了重要的理论指导。     

Strategic use of Iranian bread wheat landrace accessions for genetic improvement: Core set formulation and validation

Iranian wheat landrace accessions (IWAs) were collected from country‐wide farm fields and market places in 1935 by a professor at the University of Tehran and shared with University of California at Davis, California. IWAs were further submitted to the genebank of International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Mexico. 2,403 IWAs from CIMMYT’s genebank were assayed by DArT‐seq technology to assess genetic diversity. No apparent ecogeographic patterns related to genetic diversity were detected, probably due to long‐term transport and frequent interchange of landraces among farmers. A multivariate clustering procedure combining genotypic and phenotypic information was used in selecting a core‐set, which represented 15% of the hexaploid wheat accessions included in this study. This subset captured an estimated 93% of rare (frequency <0.05) alleles. Multisite phenotypic data (India, Mexico) validated the ability of the core‐set in detecting useful variants. Potential donor accessions for multiple traits (disease resistance, zinc concentration) were identified from the core‐set for wheat‐breeding. This report illustrates a breeder friendly robust core‐set formulation strategy for harnessing the useful genetic variation stored in the genebanks.     

Potential loss of unique genetic diversity in tomato landraces by genetic colonization of modern cultivars at a non-center of origin

We report the genetic diversity of tomato landraces from Myanmar, with reference to worldwide tomato accessions. Ten simple sequence repeat markers were screened and used to create diversity profiles of tomato germplasm. A total of 133 alleles were amplified from the germplasm investigated; alleles specific to landraces from Myanmar were also observed. Higher genetic diversity for the Myanmar landraces highlighted the broad genetic base of tomato germplasm. Principal component analysis showed that most of the Myanmar landraces were divergent from other accessions. The different approaches used to analyse landrace diversity documented the broader genetic base of germplasm from Myanmar, which is a non‐center of origin for tomato. Genetic diversity in the landraces may be attributable to diverse production systems used by different ethnic groups in Myanmar, ranging from natural hydroponics in eastern areas, to slash‐and‐burn fields in mountain areas and shifting cultivation in many parts of the country. The availability of uniform and high‐yielding cultivars/hybrids threatens the valuable landraces in Myanmar. We emphasize the need to evaluate tomato germplasm from Myanmar for different traits and sustainable use with simultaneous conservation.