Morpho-agronomical and molecular marker based genetic diversity analyses and quality evaluation of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] genotypes

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2003-05
Authors
Shargie, Nemera Geleta
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: Sorghum is the most important cereal crop providing food to millions of people in the world. It is well known for its adaptation to harsh environments, specifically to drought and heat stresses, which accounts for its success throughout the semi-arid regions of the world. Africa, specifically the northeast quadrant of Africa is believed to be the primary centre of origin and domestication of the crop. In these parts of Africa, genetic variability is available both in cultivated races and the wild progenitors. In regard to sorghum utilization in general, developing countries use it primarily as food, whereas developed countries use it as feed. A wide variety of traditional foods are used from sorghum in the semi-arid tropics. Despite its importance, the genetic characterization of sorghum is very limited. The accurate estimation of genetic diversity of the species is important for conservation of valuable resources and possible future use in its improvement. Farmers' varieties or landraces (locally adapted populations bred through traditional methods of direct selection) are usually the major sources of genetic variation. Cultivated sorghums in Ethiopia show diverse morpho-agronomic diversity, and have not been studied using the recently developed molecular markers. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic diversity by using DNA markers, morpho-agronomical traits and food quality attributes in sorghum accessions. Forty-five accessions, including landrace collections, breeding materials and improved cultivars from the eastern highlands of Ethiopia were used. A total of 552 and 43 polymorphic AFLP and microsatellite alleles, respectively were scored and used to calculate pair-wise genetic distances and clustering. In addition, 10 qualitative and 16 quantitative traits with 96 variants were scored and used to analyse the genetic distances and clustering. The physical and chemical composition and food (injera)-making qualities of selected sorghum samples were also investigated. A high phenotypic, chemical and genetic variability among the accessions was observed. The resulting knowledge of genetic distance and discrimination of sorghum accessions, chemical composition variability and injera-making quality in this study will contribute towards sorghum improvement programmes in Ethiopia, and conservation of novel genotypes. It permits an organization of germ plasm resources and identification of parents for crossing blocks. This will enable the breeder/ improvement scientist to make more scientific based choices. These findings have shown that both AFLP and microsatellite techniques can be successfully used and that they are informative in estimation of genetic diversity and identification of sorghum accessions. The result from morphoagronomical traits analysis generally agreed with the molecular marker results in estimating diversity, hence it can be used in the management of sorghum genetic resources. A further extensive investigation of Ethiopian sorghum genetic diversity including wider areas and more samples is recommended.
Afrikaans: Sorghum is die mees belangrike graan gewas wat voedsel verskaf aan miljoene mense in die wêreld. Dit is bekend vir goeie aanpassing in marginale omgewings, onder veral hitte en droogte stremming, wat die sukses van die gewas verklaar dwarsoor semi-ariede areas van die wêreld. Afrika, spesifiek die noordoostelike kwadrant van Afrika, word beskou as die primêre sentrum van oorsprong en die plek van eerste verbouing van die gewas. In hierdie dele van Afrika is genetiese variabiliteit beskikbaar vir beide verboude rasse sowel as wilde verwantes. Vir sorghum gebruik in die algemeen, word dit in ontwikkelende lande gebruik primêr as voedsel, en in die ontwikkelde lande as voer. 'n Wye verskeidenheid tradisionele kos word gemaak van sorghum in die semi-ariede trope. Ten spyte van die belangrikheid daarvan, is die genetiese karakterisering van sorghum baie beperk. Die akkurate vasstelling van genetiese diversiteit van die spesie is belangrik vir bewaring van waardevolle bronne en moontlike toekomstige gebruik vir verbetering van die gewas. Boere variëteite of landrasse (plaaslik aangepaste populasies wat geteel is deur tradisionele metodes van direkte seleksie) is gewoonlik die hoof bron van genetiese variasie. Verboude sorghums in Etiopië wys diverse morfo-agronomiese diversiteit, en is nog nie bestudeer met onlangs ontwikkelde molekulêre merkers nie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om genetiese diversiteit te bepaal met DNA merkers, morfo-agronomiese eienskappe en voedsel kwaliteit eienskappe in sorghum inskrywings. Vyf en veertig inskrywings, insluitend landras versamelings, teelmateriaal en vebeterde cultivars van die oostelike hooglande van Etiopië is gebruik. 'n Totaal van 552 en 43 polimorfiese AFLP en mikrosatelliet allele, onderskeidelik, is geëvalueer en gebruik om paarsgewyse genetiese afstande en groepering te bepaal. Verder is 10 kwalitatiewe en 16 kwantitatiewe eienskappe van 96 variante geëvalueer om genetiese afstande en groeperings te bepaal. Die fisiese en chemiese samestelling en voedsel (/njera) kwaliteit van geselekteerde sorghum monsters is ook bepaal. 'n Hoë fenotipiese, chemiese en genetiese variabiliteit is tussen inskrywings gesien. Die data gegenereer in terme van genetiese afstande en diskriminasie van sorghum inskrywings, chemiese samestelling variabiliteit en injerebakkwaliteit in hierdie studie sal bydra tot sorghum verbeterings programme in Etiopië, sowel as die bewaring van unieke genotipes. Dit dra by tot die organisasie van kiemplasma bronne en die identifisering van ouers vir kruisings blokke. Dit sal die teler meer wetenskaplike keuses toelaat. Hierdie bevindings het getoon dat beide AFLP en mikrosatelliet tegnieke suksesvol gebruik kan word en dat hulle bruikbaar is vir die bepaling van genetiese diversiteit en identifiksaie van sorghum inskrywings. Die resultate van die morfo-agronomiese eienskap analise het in die algemeen ooreengestem met molekulêre merkers in die bepaling van diversiteit, dus kan dit gebruik word in die bestuur van sorghum genetiese bronne. 'n Verdere uitgebreide ondersoek na Etiopiese sorghum genetiese diversiteit, insluitend wyer areas en meer inskrwyings, word aanbeveel.
Description
Keywords
Sorghum -- Genetics, Genetic markers, Sorghum -- Breeding, Thesis (Ph.D. (Plant Sciences (Plant Breeding))--University of the Free State, 2003
Citation