Abstract
Abstract Background: Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) is an invasive weed that has invaded vast regions of Pakistan in a relatively very short period of a decade or two, threatening the crop fields of the agrarian fed country. Parthenium hysterophorus L. is native of central South America and Gulf of Mexico, has now turned out to be a weed of global significance due to its alarming invasions and profuse spread in approximately all parts of the world. Its invasion is probably due to the contamination of its seeds in the imported grains from other countries of the world. Objective: During comprehensive sampling from Pakistan and Australia, it was observed that parthenium weed accessions exhibited several distinct morphological features present at different geographical regions. Therefore this study focuses on the use of plastid DNA barcodes (psbA-trnH) to evaluate the extent of variations in nucleotide sequences between the parthenium weed sampled accessions. Methods: The variability or genetic diversity was evaluated through sequencing of the amplified products and data was subjected to phylogenetic analysis in Molecular Evolutionary Genetic Analysis (MEGA; version 6.06) software. Results: In Maximum Likelihood tree, mainly two clades with three subdivisions are evident which showed increased heterogenity. The results of sequence based markers showed 12 haplotypes of P. hysterophorus populations (having two parsimony informative sites) with 10 indels and a few SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). Conclusions: The results advocate that there have been multiple introductions of parthenium weed into Pakistan.
Highlights
Parthenium hysterophorus L. commonly named parthenium weed is described as the most serious weed of 21st century that has attained a major weed status in a relatively shorter time in most of the tropical and subtropical parts of the world due to its invasive nature
Keeping in view the importance of genetic analysis a preceding study by Jabeen et al (2015) elucidated high genetic diversity and increased invasive potential of parthenium weed within and among populations based on ISSR fingerprinting markers which showed that high genetic diversity is related to parthenium weed intraspecific hybridizations
In Khyber Pakhtun Khwa (KPK), twenty different Parthenium weed samples were taken from Peshawar valley in FebMarch 2012; the remaining samples were collected in March-May 2012 from wide eco-geographical areas in the Punjab Province of Pakistan
Summary
Parthenium hysterophorus L. commonly named parthenium weed is described as the most serious weed of 21st century that has attained a major weed status in a relatively shorter time in most of the tropical and subtropical parts of the world due to its invasive nature. In order to find out an eco-friendly, comprehensive and effective management option in Pakistan, genetic analysis of the weed using molecular markers can provide extremely useful information. The evolution in genetic diversities of invasive weeds is a major contributing factor in successful invasion of the invasive species (Prentis et al, 2008) This knowledge of invasion histories is extremely important for selecting improved and better management options of the exotic weeds in the invaded areas (Prentis et al, 2010). Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) is an invasive weed that has invaded vast regions of Pakistan in a relatively very short period of a decade or two, threatening the crop fields of the agrarian fed country. Conclusions: The results advocate that there have been multiple introductions of parthenium weed into Pakistan
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