Genetic diversity of Moroccan populations of Orobanche foetida: evolving from parasitising wild hosts to crop plants

Abstract

Summary Orobanche foetida is widely distributed in western Mediterranean countries infecting wild legumes. Recently it has been reported in Morocco infecting common vetch, presenting a further constraint for legume production in this area. Comparative studies between Orobanche populations attacking wild species and Orobanche populations growing on crops from the same region may help to clarify whether a host specialisation process occurred. In the present study, the genetic variability of five O. foetida populations, four infecting wild plants and one infecting cultivated vetch in Morocco was characterised using amplified fragment‐length polymorphism (AFLP) markers to elucidate the existing genetic relationship between populations and to suggest a potential origin for the recently detected vetch‐infecting population. Analysis of molecular variance suggested the existence of genotypic differentiation among populations. The most genetic divergent population by cluster analysis was the population collected on Ornithopus sativus. The vetch‐infecting O. foetida population was closer to the three populations infecting Scorpiurus muricatus. The possibility of the presence of a reservoir of diversity is balanced against direct genetic adaptation and completely new introduction. The potential for this Orobanche species to shift host and become a threat to agriculture exists and has to be taken into account for future legume breeding for these areas.

Characterization of Resistance Mechanisms in Faba Bean (Vicia faba) against Broomrape Species (Orobanche and Phelipanche spp.)

“…foetida confirming the lack of infection ever observed in the faba bean in the field (Pujadas-Salvá, 2002; Rubiales et al, 2005; Vaz Patto et al, 2008). Some P. ramosa infection could occur, but at low levels.…”

“…foetida and var. lusitanica are widely distributed in natural habitats in the Western Mediterranean area parasitizing wild herbaceous leguminous plants belonging to the genera Anthyllis, Astragalus, Ebenus, Lotus, Medicago , and Trifolium but not legume crops (Pujadas-Salvá, 2002; Vaz Patto et al, 2008). P. aegyptiaca is a very damaging species on vegetable crops prevalent in the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East that can also affect faba bean (Parker, 2009).…”

The red queen in the corn: agricultural weeds as models of rapid adaptive evolution

“…Based on AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) markers, this genetically diverse outcrossing weed does not show genetic differentiation correlated with host specificity, but rather, it is correlated with geography (Welsh and Mohamed, 2011), suggesting that the weed is a generalist that can easily invade new crop hosts. Similarly, no genetic differentiation based on AFLP has been found between populations of broomrape (Orobanche foetida) infesting wild legumes and a population parasitizing cultivated vetch, suggesting a generalist ability to undergo host shifts onto cultivated species (Vaz Patto et al, 2008). Blackgrass (Alopecurus myosuroides), a non-parasitic weedy grass common in cereal fields worldwide, has high genetic diversity based on amplified fragment length polymorphisms within the populations, and little divergence between populations collected across Europe (Menchari et al, 2007).…”

Genetic variability of Orobanche aegyptiaca infesting tobacco in Iran by Bayesian analysis

“…Vaz-Patto et al (2008) studied O. foetida populations with AFLP markers and reported that 13.7% of the genetic variability was among populations and 86.3% of the genetic variability was within populations. Variability and gene flow in Orobanche species attacking crops is probably related not only to their mating systems, but also reflect human intervention in distributing species from one region to another (Román et al 2007).…”