Canada's lentil industry owes its success to the great breeders we have and their access to germplasm through germplasm sharing agreements with several countries and institutions.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4960256/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4960256/
Genetic Diversity of Cultivated Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) and Its Relation to the World's Agro-ecological Zones
Abstract
Assessment of genetic diversity and population structure of germplasm collections plays a critical role in supporting conservation and crop genetic enhancement strategies. We used a cultivated lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) collection consisting of 352 accessions originating from 54 diverse countries to estimate genetic diversity and genetic structure using 1194 polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers which span the lentil genome. Using principal coordinate analysis, population structure analysis and UPGMA cluster analysis, the accessions were categorized into three major groups that prominently reflected geographical origin (world's agro-ecological zones). The three clusters complemented the origins, pedigrees, and breeding histories of the germplasm. The three groups were (a) South Asia (sub-tropical savannah), (b) Mediterranean, and (c) northern temperate. Based on the results from this study, it is also clear that breeding programs still have considerable genetic diversity to mine within the cultivated lentil, as surveyed South Asian and Canadian germplasm revealed narrow genetic diversity.
Keywords: lentil, genetic diversity, population structure, germplasm, SNP markers, agro-ecological zones
Introduction
Cultivated lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus ssp. culinaris) is the third most important cool-season grain legume in the world after chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) (FAO, 2015). Legumes are important components in farming systems, providing environmental and ecological benefits through crop rotation, especially by contributing to soil fertility and rhizosphere diversity through biological N2 fixation. Global annual lentil production was around 5 million metric tons (Tg) from nearly 4.3 million ha (Mha) in 2013. Canada was the largest producer, contributing 38% of the world's production, followed by India, Turkey, and Australia (FAO, 2015). Lentil was one of the first domesticated grain legumes, originating from the Near East center of origin (Zohary, 1999). Lentil subsequently spread to central Asia and the Mediterranean Basin (Cubero, 1981; Lev-Yadun et al., 2000). It is a relatively new crop in North America, first introduced into northwest USA in the 1930s and into the northern temperate prairies of North America in the late 1960s (Muehlbauer et al., 1995). Globally today, lentil is grown in three major distinct agro-ecological zones: Mediterranean, sub-tropical savannah, and northern temperate (Tullu et al., 2011). These zones each exhibit different day lengths and temperatures, which limits the exchange of germplasm between agro-ecological adaptation zones.
Success in crop breeding is a function of heritability, genetic diversity, and selection. Natural agro-biodiversity stored in genebanks can be used to expand the diversity in crops. These collections are a vital source for discovering useful genes/alleles, which serve as a cornerstone for any pre-breeding program. There are currently 58,405 Lens accessions held in various genebanks worldwide (FAO, 2010). International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) hosts the largest collection (19%) followed by the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, India (17%) and the Australian temperate field crops collection (9%). Currently, the most accessible and accessed lentil collection is held by the USDA-ARS (United States Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service; https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4960256/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4960256/
Genetic Diversity of Cultivated Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) and Its Relation to the World's Agro-ecological Zones
Abstract
Assessment of genetic diversity and population structure of germplasm collections plays a critical role in supporting conservation and crop genetic enhancement strategies. We used a cultivated lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) collection consisting of 352 accessions originating from 54 diverse countries to estimate genetic diversity and genetic structure using 1194 polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers which span the lentil genome. Using principal coordinate analysis, population structure analysis and UPGMA cluster analysis, the accessions were categorized into three major groups that prominently reflected geographical origin (world's agro-ecological zones). The three clusters complemented the origins, pedigrees, and breeding histories of the germplasm. The three groups were (a) South Asia (sub-tropical savannah), (b) Mediterranean, and (c) northern temperate. Based on the results from this study, it is also clear that breeding programs still have considerable genetic diversity to mine within the cultivated lentil, as surveyed South Asian and Canadian germplasm revealed narrow genetic diversity.
Keywords: lentil, genetic diversity, population structure, germplasm, SNP markers, agro-ecological zones
Introduction
Cultivated lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus ssp. culinaris) is the third most important cool-season grain legume in the world after chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) (FAO, 2015). Legumes are important components in farming systems, providing environmental and ecological benefits through crop rotation, especially by contributing to soil fertility and rhizosphere diversity through biological N2 fixation. Global annual lentil production was around 5 million metric tons (Tg) from nearly 4.3 million ha (Mha) in 2013. Canada was the largest producer, contributing 38% of the world's production, followed by India, Turkey, and Australia (FAO, 2015). Lentil was one of the first domesticated grain legumes, originating from the Near East center of origin (Zohary, 1999). Lentil subsequently spread to central Asia and the Mediterranean Basin (Cubero, 1981; Lev-Yadun et al., 2000). It is a relatively new crop in North America, first introduced into northwest USA in the 1930s and into the northern temperate prairies of North America in the late 1960s (Muehlbauer et al., 1995). Globally today, lentil is grown in three major distinct agro-ecological zones: Mediterranean, sub-tropical savannah, and northern temperate (Tullu et al., 2011). These zones each exhibit different day lengths and temperatures, which limits the exchange of germplasm between agro-ecological adaptation zones.
Success in crop breeding is a function of heritability, genetic diversity, and selection. Natural agro-biodiversity stored in genebanks can be used to expand the diversity in crops. These collections are a vital source for discovering useful genes/alleles, which serve as a cornerstone for any pre-breeding program. There are currently 58,405 Lens accessions held in various genebanks worldwide (FAO, 2010). International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) hosts the largest collection (19%) followed by the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, India (17%) and the Australian temperate field crops collection (9%). Currently, the most accessible and accessed lentil collection is held by the USDA-ARS (United States Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service; https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/).
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