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English

AFLP fingerprinting of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) from undisturbed Dutch grasslands: implications for conservation Undisturbed grasslands are considered rich sources of promising genotypes for the development of new varieties of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.). Grasslands that have not been resown with commercial cultivars nor treated with high doses of nitrogen fertilizer have become rare in the Netherlands. In 1998, a survey among farms still in agricultural use revealed the existence of about 50 such grasslands that were designated “old Dutch grasslands”. AFLPs were used to study the genetic diversity among 194 plants from 12 old Dutch grasslands in comparison with 81 plants from undisturbed grasslands from 5 Dutch nature reserves and 220 plants from 11 reference cultivars that played an important role in the development of Dutch grasslands. Of the 275 samples from undisturbed grasslands, 151 plants (55%) displayed genotypes that could be matched with those of reference cultivars or were observed in multiple grasslands, suggesting a widespread occurrence of different genotypes. Based on the observed extent of overlap in genetic diversity and because grasslands from nature reserves are already under protective measures, no specific in situ conservation measures were recommended for old Dutch grasslands. However, from the group of grassland plants that could not be matched with the reference cultivars, 46 genotypes unique to single grasslands and 13 genotypes observed in multiple grasslands were maintained for ex situ conservation in order to extend the small genebank collection of Kentucky bluegrass in the Netherlands. By  R. van Treuren   Article published on No.153, 2008 in English Page 1 to 8 [Read more...]

French

Morphological variability in dry season sorghum (Muskwari) in North Cameroon Transplanted sorghum (Sorgho bicolor), commonly called muskwari in Cameroon, is an important cereal crop on the vertisols of North Cameroon. One hundred and sixty-two ecotypes of muskwari from a local collection were evaluated in the dry seasons of 1999 and 2000 at Salak, Maroua, North Cameroon. ICRISAT-IBPGR descriptors for sorghum were used as references for the observations. Analysis of variance showed a significant difference between cultivars for the six characters studied. Mean values and correlation coefficients between the characters were studied. The number of days to 50% flowering strongly correlated with dry-matter yield. Panicle length correlated postively and highly significantly with grain yield. Principal component analysis was used to identify different groups of cultivars on the basis of the characters studied. The three components accounted for 74.3 % of the total variation. The ecotypes were classified into five groups. The results demonstrated a very strong variability of the ecotypes. Development across the selections, within and between populations, resulted in varieties with higher potential yields that were well adapted to the fluctuating agroclimatic conditions in the sudano-sahelian and sahelian zones of North Cameroon. By  R. Kenga   G. Djorowe   Article published on No.153, 2008 in English Page 9 to 14 [Read more...]

English

Rhynchosia minima (L.) DC. – regeneration, characterization and potential uses for natural products and flavonoids Least snout bean, Rhynchosia minima, has been used very little worldwide, including the USA. Wild species of least snout bean genotypes are known to be native to the south-eastern USA, but none have been collected and deposited in the USDA, ARS, PGRCU collection. The PGRCU maintains 26 least snout bean accessions from Mexico, Central America, Caribbean Islands, and South America. Twenty-one accessions of least snout bean were transplanted as approximately 44-day-old seedlings to the field in Griffin, GA, USA, around 01 June 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2003. After 3 to 4 months, the accessions were characterized for morphological traits and evaluated for seed regeneration. High quality plants regenerated from all accessions produced from 3 to more than 23 000 total seeds per plot. Least snout bean can be successfully grown and regenerated in Griffin. Least snout bean has potential to be used in numerous ways, including for pharmaceuticals and other agricultural products. Natural products such as gallic acid identified in least snout bean pods and seeds may fight colon cancer, while the flavonoid, isovitexin, may reduce inflammation, as well as carcinogenesis. By  J.B. Morris   Article published on No.153, 2008 in English Page 15 to 19 [Read more...]

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This newsletter, published under the joint auspices of the Bioversity International (Bioversity) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), features articles and reviews of developments in plant genetic resources, book reviews, news and notes on Bioversity activities.