Diversity and Characters in Ethiopian Linseed Accessions

Negash Worku and Pat Heslop-Harrison

phh4@le.ac.uk

www.molcyt.comUserID/PW ‘visitor’

@Pathh1

Slideshare.com pathh

Ethiopia

• centre of diversity for linseed

• valued for culture, medicine, food & fibre

• limited amounts grown widely

• climatic conditions of the tropical highlands

• 3 to 15°N, -125m to 4500m

Ethiopian Linseed

• 200 accessions

• How much diversity?

• What characters do they have?

• What is the potential for molecular markers?

• What is the potential for the crop? Is it useful?

http://molcyt.org/2013/05/07/worku-mhiret-biodiversity-and-its-exploitation-in-ethiopian-linseed/

Ethiopian linseed collection sites (symbols) and additionalon-farm collections numbers in yellow box; AgResCentre in light box

• Seedling variation in vigour and cotyledon size. Ages: 2, 5, 7 & 17-days old

• 17 days old

• variation in height and basal branch (axillary bud) development

Seedling regeneration When cut below cotyledons valuable against goats!

VPlant morphology variation relatesto end-use - height (30 cm to 75 cm)- systemic/technical stem ratio- branching

Not scored: variation in biotic stress susceptibility

OrobancheRust (Canadian checks particularly bad)Insect galls

Variation in

Boll morphology,

Seed dispersal (early domestication char) and segregation

Reduced false septum

- Conjoined (paired) seeds or twinning

• Biodiversity in linseed seed size and colour. Lower panel, centre right shows twinned seeds; cf Fig. 7. (Bar: 10 mm)

• Fig. 7. Cross-section of bolls of linseed with A) normal; and B) twin-seeds (bar = 3 mm), showing the difference in development with much reduced false septum resulting in conjoined (paired) seeds (cf Fig. 6) or twinning.

Variation in accessions and segregating population (below)

Preprint from www.molcyt.ORG

• Worku N, Heslop-Harrison JS, Wakjira A. 2015. Diversity in 198 Ethiopian linseed (Linumusitatissimum) accessions based on morphological characterization and seed oil characteristics. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution (GRACE) in press Jan 2015. doi:10.1007/s10722-014-0207-1 (coming soon). And Worku: Linum / Linseed Morphological Diversity in Ethiopia – Author Version.

2n = 30 c. 9 intercrossable sppLinum usitatissimum, L. angustifolium, L. bienne

2n = 16, 18, 36 and 60 c. 90 sppL. austriacum L. (2n = 18)

Retroelement Markers: Amplify & Insert in Genome

Retrotransposon LTRLTR

Retrotransposon LTRLTR

RetrotransposonLTR LTR

Retrotransposon LTRLTR

IRAP – InterRetroelement Amplified Polymorphisms PCR

Retrotransposon LTRLTR

RetrotransposonLTR LTR

IRAP

DNA amplification patterns from the 3PCT2 ISSR marker in 60 Linum accessions.

• Wild Linum species

• ISSR and IRAP data

L. hirsutumROU

L. volkensiiETH

L.trigynumFRA

L.austriacumRUS

L.austriacumDEU

L.flavumDNK

L.narbonenseCHE

64

35

L.bienneBEL

L.bienneIRQb

L.bienneIRQa

48

100

L.bienneUSA

85

54

85

100

Tigray

Shewa

Gondar

100

Gojam

Illubabour

Gomugofa

Wellega

Sidamo

Kefa

78

99

49

77

58

Arsi

Bale100

67

Wollo

Hararghe39

88

100

PCAs (principal component analyses) of morphology

Altitude plot with 130 linseed accessions assigned to 8 altitude ranges: 1 = 1410-1664m … 8 = 3195-3449m.Low attitude accessions (1 to 5) show little grouping, Mid-altitudes grouped B (altitude 7), C (altitude 6) and the highest altitude 8 (group D)

Collection regions for 198 linseed accessions: 1 = Tigray; 2 = Gondar; 3 = Gojjam; 4 = Wellega; 5 = Illubabor; 6 = Keffa; 7 = GamuGofa; 8 = Sidamo; 9 = Bale; 10 = Arsi; 11= Shewa; 12 = Hararghe; 13 = Wollo; 14 = Holetta (ARC). G

A Western regions 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8; B East-central regions 11 and 12; C1 to C2 = North-west region 2D North region 1; E Central-south regions 9 and 10; F North-central regions 13 and ARC collections 14.

Ethiopian LinseedWorku and Pat Heslop-Harrison

www.molcyt.com – pathh1

• No longer are there “orphan” crops

• Diversity is ready to meet challenges of climate & social changes

• Ethiopian landraces fibre (43%) & oil-seed (57%) types; oil quality good but content low (30% vs 47%)

• Days-to-maturity varied widely and heritable

• Seed/boll physiological characters: dominance, twins, meristem

• Molecular diversity was high (PIC, 0.16; GD, 0.19)

• IRAP/ISSR genotyping results classified Linum species

• Some clustering by altitudes and geographical regions

• Descriptors, markers and hybrid-derivatives for mapping & selection

• Breeding sustainable, high-value crop meeting agricultural, economic and cultural needs - disease, water, intensification, and cultural

• Linseed food, fibre, feed, industrial uses smallholders to export

Worku: detailed summary

• The presence of different socio-cultural conditions and the highly desiccated topography in Ethiopia help linseed to maintain the present genetic diversity both among regional and altitude groups. The molecular diversity reported here was high but in general grouped accessions according to regions and altitude (Figs V.3-V.5). The location of Ethiopia in the tropics and at the same time having several mountains and extensive variation in rainfall and temperature, contributes to the presence of crop genetic diversity and different types of crops in a given agro-ecological zone.

• Linseed acquired from Canada has low genetic diversity and polymorphism as expected because of strong selection made by breeders, farmers and researchers for specific characters as end use. Relatively, the germplasm acquired from Ethiopian research centres had high genetic diversity and a high degree of polymorphism, and also showed that the collections were not yet pure (not inbred) for all traits that were targeted in this thesis work with both molecular and morphological characters.

• Comparing with the Canadian lines, genetic diversity and reports from other research works, it is possible to conclude Ethiopian linseed germplasm has high genetic diversity. Most linseed accessions contained morphologically heterogeneous plant populations, and had high genetic variability which could result either from purposeful activities of farmers, or homologous recombination during meiosis from the rare cross fertilization.

• Ethiopian landraces ranged from fibre (43%) to oil-seed (57%) types. Landrace oil quality was assessed; oil content was as low as 30% compared to 47% reported elsewhere. Days-to-flowering and days-to-maturity varied widely and were highly heritable. Ethiopian linseed had dominant and recessive yellow seed genotypes; some had a recessive twinned-seed. Molecular diversity was high (PIC, 0.16; GD, 0.19) compared to other reports.

• IRAP/ISSR genotyping results classified Linum species, separating the reference from landrace accessions, and clustered accessions from different altitudes and geographical regions. Collections showed evidence for distribution of new varieties in some regions. Evidence supported L. bienne as the progenitor of domesticated L. usitatissimum.

• F1 hybrid seed size, boll size and seed colour were intermediate, growth habit and boll dehiscence wild type, and stem thickness and plant height cultivated type. Characters segregated in backcrosses and selfed lines.

• The descriptors, markers and hybrid-derivatives developed here will be useful for genetic mapping and selection of breeding lines. The results show the range of characters which can be exploited in breeding lines appropriate for smallholder and commercial farmers in Ethiopia, producing a sustainable, secure, high-value crop meeting agricultural, economic and cultural needs.

• linseed faces challenges from disease, water use, intensification, and cultural shifts such as movement from farmer-smallholders to urban and larger farms. Linseed oil has a long history of industrial use

W295Diversity and Characters in Ethiopian Linseed Accessions

• Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2015Time: 12:10 PM

• Room: Towne - Meeting House• Worku Negash Mhiret, , University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia• Pat Heslop-Harrison , University of Leicester, Leicester, Leic, United Kingdom• Ethiopia is a centre of diversity for linseed, where it is valued for cultural reasons as well as use as

food and for export. Limited amounts of the crop are grown widely in Ethiopia, which includes the unique climatic conditions of the tropical highlands (3-15°N, >2000m). A range of some 200 accessions were evaluated for diverse quality, agronomic and morphological traits. They were also genotyped with IRAP (InterRetroelement Amplified Polymorphisms). It is probable that the genetic diversity in this area has not been exploited in breeding programmes. The results show a range of characters which can be exploited, some appropriate for smallholder and commercial farmers in Ethiopia, producing a sustainable, secure, high-value crop meeting agricultural, economic and cultural needs. Analysis of sequence data is likely to allow identification of probes suitable for chromosome identification and potentially tracking chromosomes in breeding programmes.

•

Diversity and Characters in Ethiopian Linseed Accessions

Negash Worku and Pat Heslop-Harrison

phh4@le.ac.uk

www.molcyt.comUserID/PW ‘visitor’

@Pathh1

Slideshare.com pathh