Assessment of genetic diversity and structure of Bambara groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L.) verdc.] landraces in South Africa

Abstract

With its drought tolerant and protein-rich properties, Bambara groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.], an indigenous African legume crop can contribute immensely to food security. This miracle crop is used as food and for the enhancement of soil fertility in South Africa. Knowledge on the genetic diversity and structure among the Bambara groundnut landraces can pave the way for the effective use and cultivation of this crop in southern Africa, especially South Africa. The aim of this study was to assess the genetic diversity and structure among Bambara groundnut landraces collected across South Africa and compared to a limited number of accessions from southern Africa using SSR markers. Seventy-eight Bambara groundnut accessions were genotyped using 19 Bambara specific SSR markers. SSR loci explored in this study, were all polymorphic. A total of 127 alleles were detected with a mean of 6.7 alleles per locus. Allele diversity and frequency among genotypes varied from 0.21 to 0.85 with an average of 0.62 per locus. Genetic variation as described by the analysis of molecular variance indicated higher genetic diversity (92%) within landraces than between (8%) different landraces. Population structure analysis showed that three subpopulations existed, and most of the South African accessions were restricted to one subpopulation, indicating that Bambara landraces has the ability to form unique haplotypes in different environments. Information harnessed in this study is helpful for further use in breeding programs for crop improvement.

The potential of Bambara groundnut: An analysis for the People’s Republic of China

“…Cong et al (2021) also suggest legume‐based cropping systems for the southern China with an abundance of water, but there is a need to improve soil quality in the hilly regions. Bambara groundnut could be a source of green manure for the rice systems in this area and as a crop for rotations systems (Minnaar‐Ontong et al, 2021).…”

Start codon-targeted marker evaluation of genetic relationship and population structure in southern Nigerian fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook F.) collection

“…Kimani et al (2012) obtained a similar result in five populations of Kenyan Lablab bean accessions using AFLP. This observation could be attributed to natural adaptation (Uba et al, 2021) or extensive seed exchange among farmers across large geographical distances (Kimani et al, 2012;Minnaar-Ontong et al, 2021) or because of the common genetic background of the populations, which might have resulted from the continuous use of the same seeds by fluted pumpkin cultivators without the introduction of new ones. In Nigeria, sources of fluted pumpkin come from seeds saved by farmers from previous planting season, market purchases and seed exchange.…”

Research status of seed improvement in underutilized crops: prospects for enhancing food security

“…Gerrano et al (2015) evaluated amaranthus germplasm for morphological characteristics using various statistical methods and classified amaranthus genotypes into six different groups based on their genetic similarity which could be useful for their breeding programme. Minnaar-Ontong et al (2021) studied the genetic diversity and structure of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean L) landraces South Africa using SSR markers. They discovered that most South African accessions were restricted to one subpopulation, which could result in unique haplotypes in different environments.…”