Genetic diversity evolution through participatory maize breeding in Portugal

Natural, and in particular, artificial (human) selection may pose a danger to the existing crop genetic diversity. Nevertheless, on-farm breeding systems seem to achieve phenotypic improvements even though preserving variability. Using SSR markers, we analysed several selection cycles, over a 20 years period, of a Portuguese on-farm participatory maize OPV-‘Pigarro’ breeding project. No significant differences in allelic richness (N_ar), observed heterozygosity (H_O), expected heterozygosity (or gene diversity; H_E) or inbreeding coefficient (f) were detected among the selection cycles. 58 out of 107 alleles were common to all the selection cycles studied. The analysis of molecular variance showed that the variation among selection cycles represented only 7% of the total molecular variation. However, the number of private alleles varied among the selection cycles, being the highest detected at the beginning of the selection project. These findings demonstrate that an allele flow took place during the on-farm selection process of ‘Pigarro’ but the level of genetic diversity was not significantly influenced. Since interesting phenotypic improvements were also achieved, on-farm breeding projects, like this one, should be valued as a way to preserve unique Portuguese maize landraces in risk of disappearing.