ARS | Publication request: Genetic Structure and Patterns of Selection in Natural Populations of Beta Vulgaris Ssp. Maritima.

Submitted to: Plant And Animal Genome Conference
Publication Acceptance Date: October 3, 2003
Publication Date: January 10, 2004
Citation: Richards, C.M., Reeves, P.A., Fenwick, A.L., Panella, L.W. 2004. Genetic Structure And Patterns Of Selection In Natural Populations Of Beta Vulgaris Ssp. Maritima.. Plant And Animal Genome XI Conference. San Diego, California. PP.136.

Technical Abstract: Thirty one accessions, including one sugar beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) 30 wild beet (29 Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima and 1 Beta macrocarpa) were included in this study. 29 Accessions were collected from wild populations along the coast of France (Atlantic and Mediterranean) and have associated GPS data and descriptions of the source population size and demography. Each accession was planted in a common field trial in Fort Collins with 3 replications of 10 individuals (per single row plot, 30 cm spacing within plot and 55 cm between plots) for each accession. We evaluated 7 quantitative traits and 5 qualitative traits for 30 individuals in each accession. DNA was collected from each plant and a sub-sample was analyzed with microsatellite markers. Comparison of differentiation between marker data and quantitative traits with standardized measures (Fst and Qst) can be used to examine how selection and drift shape the diversity along this longitudinal cline. In addition, this correlation structure can be used to assess how much of the total neutral variation is captured if one optimizes quantitative trait diversity in the collection and how much quantitative trait diversity is captured in a collection maximized for neutral trait variation. The results of this study should contribute towards assembling a core collection of Beta germplasm, and also may serve as a model for other species within the USDA-ARS NPGS.