Untapped genetic diversity of pearl millet landraces from Senegal as reveals by agro-morphological traits and SSRs markers

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is an important staple food to hundreds of millions of the world’s poorest farmers from arid and semi-arid regions. The use of landraces biodiversity in the context of plant breeding begins with an analysis of existing genotypes adapted to specific environments. A better understanding of such biodiversity could help speed up breeding program and contribute to sustainable agricultural productivity enhancement. The present study aimed at assessing the structure of the diversity of 243 pearl millet accessions collected between 1994 and 2010 and cultivated by Senegalese farmers. Agro-morphological traits were studied during a three years period in two distinct sites in RCBD. Hierarchical clustering and discriminant analyses showed that the diversity was structured into three highly heritable characters: grain yield, spike length and plant biomass. Principal components analysis revealed morphological variability between of these three yield-related traits. Using highly polymorphic SSR markers, three sub group of early flowering millet are distinguished based on heating time. Genetic analyses showed a large structure and diversity of the collection. A Mantel test revealed no correspondence between the agro-morphological traits and markers assessed, indicating there is a complementarity between both types of analyses. Together, they have highlighted the untapped genetic potential of pearl millet landraces from Senegal as well as the connection between traditional and improved gene pools. Relevance of the use of these materials in biodiversity conservation and breeding improvement strategies are presented.

Back to: Marker Systems Diversity: SSR

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