Abstract

RUIZ HERNANDEZ, Víctor Cuauhtémoc; LEGARIA SOLANO, Juan Porfirio; SAHAGUN CASTELLANOS, Jaime  and  DE LA O OLAN, Micaela. Genetic variability in some cultivated and wild amaranth species. Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2018, vol.9, n.2, pp.405-416. ISSN 2007-0934.  https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v9i2.1081.

The genus Amaranthus is widely distributed in America. The study of genetic diversity within and between populations and species of Amaranthus is important to plan strategies for their conservation and continuity. In the present study, 2 species of cultivated species (A. hypochondriacus and A. cruentus) and 5 wild species (A. hybridus, A. retroflexus, A. powellii, A. palmerii and A. spinosus) were evaluated using ISSR-type molecular markers. The 154 loci were analyzed, finding that the average polymorphism percentage for the initiators was 97.9%. Cultivated amaranths were genetically closely related to each other and to their possible wild progenitors (A. hybridus and A. powellii). Among the wild materials those that were closest were A. hybridus, A. powellii and A. retroflexus, while A. spinosus and A. palmerii were the most distant. Most of the detectable genetic diversity was found between species and populations, while the least part was within them.

Keywords : Amaranthus spp.; genetic differentiation; genetic relationships; ISSR.