AFLP Analysis of Enset Clonal Diversity in South and Southwestern Ethiopia for Conservation

Abstract

Enset [Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman] is a major multi‐purpose crop in Ethiopia, which has been identified as the center of origin and diversity of enset. During the last decades, the local farming systems in which enset is maintained have become endangered. Conservation of clonally propagated crops like enset is complex and relatively expensive. Consequently, an assessment of clonal diversity is essential in order to maximize conservation efforts. In the present study, 146 clones from five different regions in southern and southwestern Ethiopia were characterized with amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) to investigate genetic relationships among clones, identify duplicates, and study regional variation. A total of 180 bands were scored, of which 104 (58%) appeared polymorphic. Twenty‐one duplication groups consisting of 58 clones were identified. Duplicates were related to different utilization purposes of clones and to the changing of vernacular names after exchange of clones between communities. Despite large variation in agroecological conditions among regions, only 4.8% of the total genetic variation was found between regions, whereas 95.2% was found within regions. This finding may be explained by regular long distance exchange of clones. Furthermore, it suggests the existence of substantial levels of phenotypic plasticity in enset. The results of the study allow for a substantial and well based reduction of the number of clones qualifying for conservation. In addition, the exchange between regions suggested by this study indicates that unexplored additional diversity, if existing, should mainly occur in divergent farming systems.

Genetic erosion in crops: concept, research results and challenges

“…Introduced cultivars adopted by farmers are often renamed with local names (Jusu, 1999), the information about their origin might subsequently have been lost, and the varieties might be viewed by farmers as 'traditional'. At the same time, landraces with the same name might in fact be different, as that name might only be a reflection of a limited number of characters, and landraces with different names might be identical, as was found for example with landraces of enset (Negash et al, 2002). A simple counting of numbers of landraces or cultivars without information about their genetic background or diversity is therefore not sufficient to draw conclusions about the occurrence of genetic erosion.…”

Ethnic-based diversity and distribution of enset (Ensete ventricosum) clones in southern Ethiopia

“…Clonal names reported in the literature are associated with only limited phenotypic data provided by farmers (Shigeta, 1990). In enset, molecular characterization of clones has been done using amplified fragment length polymorphism (Negash, 2001;Negash et al, 2002;Tsegaye, 2002) and random amplified polymerphic DNA (RAPD) techniques (Birmeta, 2004). These earlier studies of enset diversity were limited to one or a few ethnic groups or a specific and limited growing region.…”

Generation of Five New Musa Hybrids With Resistance To Black Sigatoka and High Yield

“…The application of this marker AFLP includes in the group 1 to H 5 , H 9 and H 12 next to the witness 'FHIA-18' and to the feminine progenitor (AA). The discrepancy among the differences opposing morfoagronomic among them and the little difference statistic detected with the marker AFLP suggests a narrow genetic base, that which could not be differentiated in this case [10,20]. These hybrids continued being studied, but they won't be of interest for next cross.…”