Distribution of SNP Variation Within and Among Elite Familes of Jatropha curcas

Jatropha is an oilseed crop that has raised increased interest for biofuel production. The establishment of breeding populations and the assessment of genetic diversity are critical steps for the domestication of the crop. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity created in three segregating families of Jatropha curcas using SNPs markers. A total of 43 individuals sampled from three segregating families derived from elite parents were genotyped with 747 SNPs obtained by genotype-by-sequencing with DArTSeq. The segregating families were generated based on crossing two Mexican genotypes with one Brazilian genotype. The distribution of the genetic diversity within and among full-sib families was assessed using the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) procedure. As expected, the SNP data confirmed the generation of a significant amount of genetic variability within families (65%) likely the result of using the Mexican accession , found to be considerably divergent from the Brazilian ones. A substantial amount of genetic variation was also present among families (35%). These estimates indicate that breeding should focus on generating large family sizes from divergent accessions, and that selection of superior individuals should be practiced both among and within families.