Abstract
The coconut palm is versatile in its adaptability to a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. A long history of its cultivation has resulted in development of many ecotypes, which are adapted to various agro-eco factors prevalent in a particular region. These ecotypes usually are known by the location where they are grown. It is important to explore such adaptation in the coconut population for better utilization of these ecotypes in coconut breeding programs. The aim of the present study was to identify the genetic diversity of the Bedakam and Annur ecotypes of coconut and compare these ecotypes with predominant West Coast Tall (WCT) populations, from which they are presumed to have been derived, using microsatellite markers. All the 17 microsatellite markers used in the study revealed 100% polymorphism. The clustering analysis showed that Annur and Bedakam ecotypes were two separate and distinct populations compared to WCT. It was also evident from the clustering that Annur ecotype was closer to WCT than Bedakam ecotype.
Highlights
Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.), a monotypic species, is one of the major perennial oil crops of the tropics
The objective of this study was to decipher the genetic diversity among Annur (ANR) and Bedakam (BDK) ecotypes of coconut from Kerala State, India, and compare them with West Coast Tall (WCT) populations, from which they are presumed to have been derived, using molecular markers, which might throw light on the crop’s evolutionary diversification
Phylogenetic analysis was carried out using 50 palms that belong to three distinct coconut populations, one a cultivar (WCT) and two ecotypes, namely, ANR and BDK
Summary
Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.), a monotypic species, is one of the major perennial oil crops of the tropics. The WCT palm grows well in all types of soil and is relatively tolerant to moisture stress It is recommended for large scale cultivation in the coastal regions of Kerala and Karnataka states of India [21]. The cultivar diverged into different ecotypes known by the location where they are cultivated, some of them being Annur, Bedakam, Kuttiyadi, Attingal, and Kanjirappally These diverse coconut ecotypes have been reported to exhibit morphological or physiological phenotypic differences. The objective of this study was to decipher the genetic diversity among Annur (ANR) and Bedakam (BDK) ecotypes of coconut from Kerala State, India, and compare them with WCT populations, from which they are presumed to have been derived, using molecular markers, which might throw light on the crop’s evolutionary diversification
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