Urban Gullberg

Simple sequence repeat marker diversity in cassava landraces: genetic diversity and differentiation in an asexually propagated crop

Abstract. Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is an allogamous, vegetatively propagated, Neotropical crop that is also widely grown in tropical Africa and Southeast Asia. To elucidate genetic diversity and differentiation in the crops primary and secondary centers of diversity, and the forces shaping them, SSR marker variation was assessed at 67 loci in 283 accessions of cassava landraces from Africa (Tanzania and Nigeria) and the Neotropics (Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Guatemala, Mexico and Argentina). Average gene diversity (i.e., genetic diversity) was high in all countries, with an average heterozygosity of 0.5358 ± 0.1184. Although the highest was found in Brazilian and Colombian accessions, genetic diversity in Neotropical and African materials is comparable. Despite the low level of differentiation [Fst(theta) = 0.091 ± 0.005] found among country samples, sufficient genetic distance (1-proportion of shared alleles) existed between individual genotypes to separate African from Neotropical accessions and to reveal a more pronounced substructure in the African landraces. Forces shaping differences in allele frequency at SSR loci and possibly counterbalancing successive founder effects involve probably spontaneous recombination, as assessed by parent-offspring relationships, and farmer-selection for adaptation.

Genetics of breeding characters with possible effects on biomass production in Salix viminalis (L.)

Abstract Genetic variation in number of sylleptic shoots, wood density, dry matter content, flower production, budbreak, growth cessation, insect susceptibility and rust susceptibility and the relationships of these characters with other growth characters were studied. Forty of sixty-four families in an 8×8 factorial crossing with Salix viminalis were used. Fourteen plants from each family were planted in the framework of a nutrient experiment with optimal and suboptimal nutrient availability and in a sandy soil. The analyses showed high additive genetic variances for all characters studied. Characters measured in both nutrient environments did not show any genotype×environment interaction. Both in the nutrient and in the sand environment insect susceptibility was negatively correlated to different growth characters. This was also the case for rust susceptibility in the sand environment. The highest negative correlation was found between number of days to budburst and weight, indicating the importance of early budburst for production. Ideas on important characteristics for an Salix ideotype are discussed.

Sex determination and sex ratio in the dioecious shrub Salix viminalis L.

Abstract Various ecological factors (e.g. herbivory, difference between males and females in colonising ability) have been invoked to explain female-biased sex ratios in populations of willow species. It was implicitly assumed that genetic factors would lead to a balanced sex ratio in the absence of ecological disturbances. In an experiment carried out in a homogeneous environment and in the absence of herbivores the progeny sex ratio of 13 crosses of basket willow (Salix viminalis L.) was observed to range from extreme female bias to extreme male bias. The observed sex ratio cannot be explained by the presence of sex chromosomes without assuming that additional loci are also involved in the sex determination. Alternatively, the sex ratios in this study can be explained by a sex determination mechanism governed by multiple independent loci.

Comparative Study of Common Bean ( Phaseolus vulgarisL.) Landraces Conserved ex situ in Genebanks and in situ by Farmers

Genetic diversity of populations stored ex situ or in situ can be altered due to the management practices they are subjected to. In this paper, we compare populations of two common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) landraces grown on farms with material collected from the same farms and now kept in two ex situ collections (CIAT and REGEN) with the purpose to monitor any changes that have occurred due to ex situ conservation. The diversity was measured using seven bean microsatellite markers. Further phenotypic and developmental traits were registered in a field experiment. Compared with the in situ populations, the ex situ ones had a lower level of gene diversity and we suggest that this is due to the regeneration process. Most of the phenotypic traits did not differ significantly between ex situ and in situ populations, although for yield and 100-seed weight, the CIAT material showed significant lower values. We assume that these populations have gone through an adaptational change. Overall, the conservation ex situ has been successful in maintaining the majority of the adaptations found in the landraces studied, however, the probable loss of genetic diversity that we have observed, suggest that protocols for the regeneration process must be carefully worked out if the majority of alleles are to be preserved for the future. This study also highlights the complementarity of ex situ and in situ conservation methods in order to preserve landrace adaptations and to capture new, useful diversity generated in in situ populations.

Mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting autumn freezing resistance and phenology in Salix

Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was performed at different time points during cold-acclimation of a tetraploid F2 Salix pedigree. The pedigree (n=92) was derived from a cross between a frost-susceptible diploid female clone ‘Jorunn’ (Salix viminalis) and a frost resistant hexaploid male clone ‘SW901290’ (Salix dasyclados). Freezing resistance, height growth increment and number of new leaves were assessed at days 0, 12, 20, 24, 31 and 42 of a short day–low temperature (SD-LT) hardening regime, while the initiation of shoot tip abscission and shoot tip abscission were measured daily. Height increment, dry-to-fresh weight ratio and number of new leaves were also measured in a replicated field trial. Freezing resistance was determined from electrolyte leakage of leaf tissues and from visual injuries on stem segments, after exposure to a predetermined freeze-thaw stress. Using a genetic map of the F2 composed of 432 single-dose AFLP markers, a total of 19 genomic regions controlling freezing resistance (10) and phenological traits (9) before and during cold-acclimation (SD-LT) were identified. The magnitude of the phenotypic variation explained by each freezing resistance locus varied over acclimation time (0–45%), and there was no time point at which all the QTLs could be detected. The single QTL detected for non-acclimated freezing resistance did not reach significance at any time point during cold-acclimation, suggesting an independent genetic relationship between non-acclimated and acclimated resistance to freezing in Salix. Five of the loci associated with freezing resistance shared common intervals with loci controlling phenological traits. Of the 14 QTLs controlling autumn freezing resistance and/or phenological traits in the indoors experiment, six (43%) were associated with autumn phenology-related traits, i.e. height increment, dry-to-fresh weight ratio and number of new leaves, measured in the field. A major locus with multi-trait association in both indoor and outdoor experiments was detected.

Population structure of a riparian willow species, Salix viminalis L.

Material sampled along 11 rivers of the western part of Salix viminalis L. natural range (in Poland, Germany and Austria), as well as in stands in Sweden and Belgium, was assayed for 15 isozyme loci and cuttings were installed in two field experiments located in a nursery south of Uppsala, where growth traits were measured. These data were used to test hypotheses on the origin of Swedish populations, on the part played by rivers in the genetic differentiation and on the relative differentiation at isozyme and quantitative trait loci. Although significant, the overall population differentiation was low, the FST value being around 4%. Much higher FST values were observed between subpopulations from southern (Skane) and central Sweden. This strong population differentiation, accompanied by significant linkage disequilibria, suggests the recent and diverse origin of Swedish populations. Degrees of differentiation between and within Polish river systems were of the same magnitude, indicating the presence of gene flow between river systems. Flow-regulated waterways, associated with higher human disturbance, may well explain why populations along rivers of the western part of the study area exhibited significant differentiation patterns while no differentiation could be detected along the less disturbed riparian habitats of eastern Poland. Finally, higher FST values were obtained for quantitative trait loci than for isozyme loci but, with two notable exceptions, their 95 % confidence intervals overlapped.

The effect of cassava mosaic disease on the genetic diversity of cassava in Uganda

SummaryCassava (Manihot esculenta) is a tropical crop that is grown in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Cassava was introduced from Latin America into West and East Africa at two independent events. In Uganda a serious threat to cassavas survival is the cassava mosaic disease (CMD). Uganda has had two notable CMD epidemics since the introduction of cassava in the 1850s causing severe losses. SSR markers were used to study the effect of CMD on the genetic diversity in five agroecologies in Uganda with high and low incidence of CMD. Surprisingly, high gene diversity was detected. Most of the diversity was found within populations, while the diversity was very small among agroecological zones and the high and low CMD incidence areas. The high genetic diversity suggests a mechanism by which diversity is maintained by the active involvement of the Ugandan farmer in continuously testing and adopting new genotypes that will serve their diverse needs. However, in spite of the high genetic diversity we found a loss of rare alleles in areas with high CMD incidence. To study the effect of the introgression history on the gene pool the genetic differentiation between East and West Africa was also studied. Genetic similarities were found between the varieties in Uganda and Tanzania in East Africa and Ghana in West Africa. Thus, there is no evidence for a differentiation of the cassava gene pool into a western and an eastern genetic lineage. However, a possible difference in the genetic constitution of the introduced cassava into East and West Africa may have been diminished by germplasm movement.

Genetic variation in a 26‐year old hybrid aspen trial in southern Sweden

A 26‐year‐old hybrid aspen trial has been evaluated for growth capacity, survival, quality and damage. The trial was situated in southern Sweden and included pure Populus tremuloides MICHX. and Populus tremula L. and both kinds of hybrids between these species. The major part of the trial consisted of tremula × tremuloides hybrids and the analysis was focused on an 11 × 7 factorial containing 37 hybrid families. Among the tremula × tremuloides hybrids the volume production per hectare varied between half sib families from 12 to 21 m3 ha‐1 year‐1 as an average over the 26 years. The average density was 380 kg m‐3. For height, diameter, and wood density we found heritabilities between 0.2 and 0.3 and there seemed not to be any tendency for the trees with high volume production to have low wood density or poor survival. The stems has considerable quality defects. Twenty‐seven percent of the trees had sinuous bends on the lower part of the trunk and 19 percent had long bends in the same region. Hypoxylon cank...

Genetic Diversity in Relation to Sexual and Asexual Reproduction in Populations of Melampsora larici-epitea

Genetic diversity of Melampsora larici-epitea leaf rust from three cultivated stands of the willow Salix viminalis was studied using AFLP polymorphisms at 60 loci. One population was located in Northern Ireland and two in Sweden. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that most of the genetic variation was distributed on a fine scale within the field in all populations. Both Swedish populations displayed a very high genotypic diversity (normalized Shannons indices of 0.95 and 1.00) and random association among loci. These results suggested that sexual reproduction had an important influence on the Swedish populations. The occurence of the alternate host (larch) adjacent to one of the Swedish rust populations did not affect the genetic diversity. However, severe rust attacks started earlier in the season in this population. The M. larici-epitea population in Northern Ireland was characterized by a low genotypic diversity (normalized Shannons index = 0.54) and non-random association among loci was indicated by test of multilocus association and by pairwise tests among loci. These results suggested that asexual reproduction had a major effect on the genetic structure of this population, probably because of the overwintering of asexual spores and/or a population bottleneck associated with the annual sexual phase.

Genetic Structure of Melampsora Epitea Populations in Swedish Salix Viminalis Plantations

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) was used to study the genetic structure of populations of the willow leaf rust, Melampsora epitea, in Swedish willow plantations. In total, 197 isolates collected from Salix viminalis clones in three locations in Sweden were analysed. AFLP profiles based on 83 markers were used to compute genetic distances between pairs of individuals. High levels of gene and genotypic diversity were detected in all populations, with 96% of the AFLP loci being polymorphic and with normalized Shannons diversity indices ranging from 0.977 to 1.0. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed small significant differences among locations, although most of the molecular variability was found within locations (97.5%). Five isolates from one willow clone in one location differed markedly from the common pattern. When these five exceptional isolates were excluded, no significant differences among willow clones were found with AMOVA. Sexual reproduction and spore migration appear to be important factors for the population genetic structure of this pathogen.