Crop ontology in support of conservation and use of banana genetic resources

Poster presented at Workshop on Crop Ontology and Phenotyping Data Interoperability. Montpellier (France), 31 Mar-4 Apr 201

Using genotyping-by-sequencing to understand Musa diversity

Poster presented at Plant and Animal Genome, PAG XXII. San Diego (USA), 11-15 Jan 201

In situ conservation—harnessing natural and human-derived evolutionary forces to ensure future crop adaptation

Ensuring the availability of the broadest possible germplasm base for agriculture in the face of increasingly uncertain and variable patterns of biotic and abiotic change is fundamental for the world's future food supply. While ex situ conservation plays a major role in the conservation and availability of crop germplasm, it may be insufficient to ensure this. In situ conservation aims to maintain target species and the collective genotypes they represent under evolution. A major rationale for this view is based on the likelihood that continued exposure to changing selective forces will generate and favor new genetic variation and an increased likelihood that rare alleles that may be of value to future agriculture are maintained. However, the evidence that underpins this key rationale remains fragmented and has not been examined systematically, thereby decreasing the perceived value and support for in situ conservation for agriculture and food systems and limiting the conservation options available. This study reviews evidence regarding the likelihood and rate of evolutionary change in both biotic and abiotic traits for crops and their wild relatives, placing these processes in a realistic context in which smallholder farming operates and crop wild relatives continue to exist. It identifies areas of research that would contribute to a deeper understanding of these processes as the basis for making them more useful for future crop adaptation

Bananas of Cook Islands: A catalog of banana diversity seen on the islands of Rarotonga and Aitutaki

This is a catalog of banana diversity seen on the islands of Rarotonga and Aitutaki (Cook Islands) during the banana expedition organized from May, 20th to May, 21st 2019 by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Cook Islands with support of the Pacific Community (SPC). The expedition was funded by the Crop Trust with contribution of CRP RTB

Metabolite profiling characterises chemotypes of Musa diploids and triploids at juvenile and preflowering growth stages

Open Access Journal; Published online: 15 March 2019Bananas (Musa spp.) are consumed worldwide as dessert and cooking types. Edible banana varieties are for the most part seedless and sterile and therefore vegetatively propagated. This confers difficulties for breeding approaches against pressing biotic and abiotic threats and for the nutritional enhancement of banana pulp. A panel of banana accessions, representative of the diversity of wild and cultivated bananas, was analysed to assess the range of chemotypes available globally. The focus of this assessment was banana leaves at two growth stages (juvenile and pre-flowering), to see when during the plant growth metabolic differences can be established. The metabolic data corresponded to genomic trends reported in previous studies and demonstrated a link between metabolites/pathways and the genomes of M. acuminata and M. balbisiana. Furthermore, the vigour and resistance traits of M. balbisiana was connected to the phenolic composition and showed differences with the number of B genes in the hybrid accessions. Differences in the juvenile and pre-flowering data led to low correlation between the growth stages for prediction purposes

Towards a more holistic research approach to plant conservation: the case of rare plants on oceanic islands

Research dedicated to rare endemic plants is usually focused on one given aspect. However, holistic studies, addressing several key issues, might be more useful, supporting management programs, while unravelling basic knowledge about ecological and population level processes. A more comprehensive approach to research is proposed, encompassing: phylogenetics/systematics, pollination biology and seed dispersal, propagation, population genetics, species distribution models (SDMs), threats and monitoring. We present a holistic study dedicated to Veronica dabneyi, an endangered chamaephyte endemic to the Azores. Veronica dabneyi was mainly found associated with other endemic taxa, however invasive plants were also present and together with introduced cattle, goats and rabbits are a major threat. Most populations grow at somewhat rocky and steep locations that appeared to work as refuges. Seed set in the wild was generally high and recruitment of young plants from seed seemed to be frequent. In the laboratory, it was possible to germinate and fully develop V. dabneyi seedlings, which were planted at their site of origin. No dormancy was detected and time for 50% of germination was affected by incubation temperature. Eight new microsatellite markers were applied to 72 individuals from 7 sites. A considerable degree of admixture was found between samples from the two islands Flores and Corvo, with 98% of the genetic variability allocated within populations. Levels of heterozygosity were high and no evidence of inbreeding was found. SDMs based on climatic and topographic variables allowed the estimation of the potential distribution of V. dabneyi on Flores and Corvo using ENFA and Maxent. The inclusion of land use variables only slightly increased the information explained by the models. Projection of the expected habitat in Faial largely coincided with the only historic record of V. dabneyi in that island. This research could be the basis for the design of a recovery plan, showing the pertinence of more holistic research approaches to plant conservation

Understanding intra and inter-archipelago population genetic patterns within a recently evolved insular endemic lineage

The recently evolved genus Tolpis Adans. has its major center of diversity located in Macaronesia. Although recent advances have been made to understand the relationships of Tolpis species within Macaronesia, little is still known about the genetic patterns and genetic diversity of the Azorean and Madeiran Tolpis populations. To achieve this, a set of 8 microsatellite loci (SSR) was applied to 478 individuals of Tolpis azorica and T. suc culenta. Genetic structure analysis, in addition to a spatial analysis, confirmed the existence of geographically cir cumscribed genetic patterns allied to a barrier effect by the sea in the Azorean T. azorica and T. succulenta. A detailed analysis of T. azorica revealed three different genetic groups, each group being particular to a different Azorean sub-archipelago, while the analysis conducted with T. succulenta confirmed the occurrence of a differ ential grouping between individuals from Azores and Madeira populations. The impact of catastrophic volcanic events and intense humanization of the habitats is dis cussed, in view of the present genetic diversity and structure of the species. In general, T. azorica populations showed high Fis values and some populations of T. suc culenta both in Azores and in Madeira also showed signs of putative inbreeding. Conservation actions such as the eradication of invasive plant and animal species are advised but translocations of plants or diaspores between islands or between populations of a same island should not be attempted.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio