Beta vulgaris L. subsp. maritima (L.) Arcang., sea beet, is a morphologically and
genetically variable species, belonging to beet primary gene
-pool. This crop wild relative
is a valuable genetic resource for resistance improvement in beets and could play an
important role in crop yield sustainability. Eleven Madeiran sea beet populations were
characterized using morphological descriptors and genetic markers. Our goal was to
evaluate these populations as a potential source of valuable genetic material.
Morphological characterization showed a high quantitative variation among populations.
Plant height and inflorescence height parameters had the highest influence in the
separation of populations. Molecular analysis was performed with polymorphic SSRs to
determine genetic variability between populations. Both PCA and PCoA revealed three
clusters that separated the populations according to morphological and genetic traits,
respectively. This study contributes to the knowledge of sea beet diversity in Madeira’s
archipelago and to the perception that the islands' specific environmental conditions
influence its genetic variability, making these populations a possible gene source for sugar
beet breeding programsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio