Genus Arachis L. includes 80 described species, of which 31 belong to section Arachis, including the two diploid species A. ipaënsis Krapov. and W.C. Gregory and A. duranensis Krapov. and W.C. Gregory, considered the putative B and A genome parents of the cultivated peanut. This work contributes to the study of evolution of the peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), based on the successful hybridization between A. ipaënsis and A. duranensis, chromosome doubling of the hybrid, and crosses between the synthetic amphidiploid and representatives of the diversity of the crop. Diploid hybrids between A. ipaënsis and A. duranensis, confirmed by molecular markers, had pollen stains of 0.98%. Colchicine‐induced tetraploids were confirmed by mitotic chromosome counts. Progeny from these amphidiploid plants had a 97.74% pollen stain and significant differences among structure sizes measured in diploid and tetraploid flowers. Hybrid individuals [A. hypogaea × (A. ipaënsis × A. duranensis)4x] were produced from crosses involving all six botanical varieties of A. hypogaea. These hybrids indicate the evolutionary similarity between the wild species and the cultigen. The successful hybridization between diploid species A. ipaënsis and A. duranensis and between A. hypogaea and the synthetic amphidiploid support the theory that these two diploids are the parents of the cultivated peanut. Resulting materials are of great importance to peanut breeding.

BackgroundPeanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is widely used as a food and cash crop around the world. It is considered to be an allotetraploid (2n = 4x = 40) originated from a single hybridization event between two wild diploids. The most probable hypothesis gave A. duranensis as the wild donor of the A genome and A. ipaënsis as the wild donor of the B genome. A low level of molecular polymorphism is found in cultivated germplasm and up to date few genetic linkage maps have been published. The utilization of wild germplasm in breeding programs has received little attention due to the reproductive barriers between wild and cultivated species and to the technical difficulties encountered in making large number of crosses. We report here the development of a SSR based genetic map and the analysis of genome-wide segment introgressions into the background of a cultivated variety through the utilization of a synthetic amphidiploid between A. duranensis and A. ipaënsis.ResultsTwo hundred ninety eight (298) loci were mapped in 21 linkage groups (LGs), spanning a total map distance of 1843.7 cM with an average distance of 6.1 cM between adjacent markers. The level of polymorphism observed between the parent of the amphidiploid and the cultivated variety is consistent with A. duranensis and A. ipaënsis being the most probable donor of the A and B genomes respectively. The synteny analysis between the A and B genomes revealed an overall good collinearity of the homeologous LGs. The comparison with the diploid and tetraploid maps shed new light on the evolutionary forces that contributed to the divergence of the A and B genome species and raised the question of the classification of the B genome species. Structural modifications such as chromosomal segment inversions and a major translocation event prior to the tetraploidisation of the cultivated species were revealed. Marker assisted selection of BC1F1 and then BC2F1 lines carrying the desirable donor segment with the best possible return to the background of the cultivated variety provided a set of lines offering an optimal distribution of the wild introgressions.ConclusionThe genetic map developed, allowed the synteny analysis of the A and B genomes, the comparison with diploid and tetraploid maps and the analysis of the introgression segments from the wild synthetic into the background of a cultivated variety. The material we have produced in this study should facilitate the development of advanced backcross and CSSL breeding populations for the improvement of cultivated peanut.

Background: Worldwide, diseases are important reducers of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) yield. Sources of resistance against many diseases are available in cultivated peanut genotypes, although often not in farmer preferred varieties. Wild species generally harbor greater levels of resistance and even apparent immunity, although the linkage of agronomically un-adapted wild alleles with wild disease resistance genes is inevitable. Marker-assisted selection has the potential to facilitate the combination of both cultivated and wild resistance loci with agronomically adapted alleles. However, in peanut there is an almost complete lack of knowledge of the regions of the Arachis genome that control disease resistance.

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) has an AB genome and is one of the most important oil crops in the world. The main constraints of crop management in Brazil are fungal diseases. Several species of the genus Arachis are resistant to pests and diseases. The objective of our experiments was to identify wild species belonging to the taxonomic section Arachis with either A or B (or "non-A") genomes that are resistant to early leaf spot (Cercospora arachidicola), late leaf spot (Cercosporidium personatum) and rust (Puccinia arachidis). For the identification of genotypes resistant to fungal diseases, bioassays with detached leaves were done in laboratory conditions, with artificial inoculation, a controlled temperature of 25°C and a photoperiod of 10 h light/14 h dark, for 20-42 days, depending on the fungi species. Most of the accessions of wild species were more resistant than accessions of A. hypogaea for one, two or all three fungi species studied. Arachis monticola, considered to be a possible tetraploid ancestor or a derivative of A. hypogaea, was also more susceptible to Cercosporidium personatum and Puccinia arachidis, as compared to most of the wild species. Therefore, wild germplasm accessions of both genome types are available to be used for the introgression of resistance genes against three fungal diseases of peanut. Key words: Puccinia arachidis, Cercospora arachidicola, Cercosporidium personatum, groundnut, Arachis spp. CARACTERIZAÇÃO DA RESISTÊNCIA À FERRUGEM, MANCHA PRETA E MANCHA CASTANHA EM GERMOPLASMA SILVESTRE E CULTIVADO DE AMENDOIMRESUMO: O amendoim (Arachis hypogaea) possui genoma AB e é uma das mais importantes culturas oleaginosas em todo o mundo. Os principais problemas da cultura no Brasil são as doenças fúngicas. Várias espécies do gênero Arachis são resistentes a pragas e doenças. Este trabalho visou a identificar espécies silvestres pertencentes à seção Arachis associadas aos genomas A ou B (ou "não-A") do amendoim que são resistentes à mancha castanha (Cercospora arachidicola), mancha preta (Cercosporidium personatum) e ferrugem (Puccinia arachidis). Para a identificação de genótipos resistentes a doenças fúngicas, bioensaios utilizando folhas destacadas foram realizados em condições de laboratório, com inoculação artificial, temperatura controlada de 25°C e fotoperíodo de 10h luz/14h escuro, por 20-42 dias, de acordo com a espécie fúngica. A maioria dos acessos das espécies silvestres foram mais resistentes que os acessos de A. hypogaea para uma, duas ou todas as espécies fúngicas estudadas. Arachis monticola, considerada como o possível ancestral tetraplóide ou como um derivativo de A. hypogaea, também mostrou-se mais suscetível a Cercosporidium personatum e Puccinia arachidis, quando comparado à maioria das espécies silvestres. Portanto, acessos de germoplasma silvestre com genoma A ou B estão disponíveis para serem utilizados na introgressão de genes de resistência a doenças fúngicas no amendoim.

Peanut, Arachis hypogaea L., is a protein-rich species consumed worldwide. A key improvement to peanut culture involves the development of cultivars that resist fungal diseases such as rust, leaf spot and scab. Over three years, we evaluated fungal resistance under field conditions of 43 wild accessions and three interspecific hybrids of the genus Arachis, as well as six A. hypogaea genotypes. In the first year, we evaluated resistance to early and late leaf spot, rust and scab. In the second and third years, we evaluated the 18 wild species with the best resistance scores and control cultivar IAC Caiapó for resistance to leaf spot and rust. All wild accessions displayed greater resistance than A. hypogaea but differed in their degree of resistance, even within the same species. We found accessions with as good as or better resistance than A. cardenasii, including: A. stenosperma (V15076 and Sv 3712), A. kuhlmannii (V 6413), A. kempff-mercadoi (V 13250), A. hoehnei (KG 30006), and A. helodes (V 6325). Amphidiploids and hybrids of A. hypogaea behaved similarly to wild species. An additional four accessions deserve further evaluation: A. magna (V 13751 and KG 30097) and A. gregoryi (V 14767 and V 14957). Although they did not display as strong resistance as the accessions cited above, they belong to the B genome type that is crucial to resistance gene introgression and pyramidization in A. hypogaea.