Abstract
Camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] is an oilseed crop in the Brassicaceae family that is currently being developed as a source of bioenergy and healthy fatty acids. To facilitate modern breeding efforts through marker-assisted selection and biotechnology, we evaluated genetic variation among a worldwide collection of 222 camelina accessions. We performed whole-genome resequencing to obtain single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and to analyze genomic diversity. We also conducted phenotypic field evaluations in two consecutive seasons for variations in key agronomic traits related to oilseed production such as seed size, oil content (OC), fatty acid composition, and flowering time. We determined the population structure of the camelina accessions using 161,301 SNPs. Further, we identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) and candidate genes controlling the above field-evaluated traits by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) complemented with linkage mapping using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population. Characterization of the natural variation at the genome and phenotypic levels provides valuable resources to camelina genetic studies and crop improvement. The QTL and candidate genes should assist in breeding of advanced camelina varieties that can be integrated into the cropping systems for the production of high yield of oils of desired fatty acid composition.
Highlights
Camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] is a member of the Brassicaceae family (Al-Shehbaz et al, 2006)
We identified several quantitative trait loci (QTL) and major candidate genes associated with key determinants of seed yield including seed size and oil content (OC), as well as those for fatty acid composition and flowering time
The linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay rate of the diversity panel was measured as the physical distance where the average r2 value dropped to half its maximum
Summary
Camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] is a member of the Brassicaceae (or mustard) family (Al-Shehbaz et al, 2006) It has recently received considerable interest in both oilseed production and plant biology research (Berti et al, 2016). By growing as a rotation crop to replace summer fallow in the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)– fallow production systems in this region, camelina would provide the feedstock for biofuels, such as a hydroprocessed renewable jet fuel and diesel (Moore et al, 2017; Shonnard et al, 2010), and potentially improve cerealbased cropping systems in the U.S Northwest and boost rural economies (Chen et al, 2015; Obour et al, 2018; Schillinger et al, 2012). Novel characteristics have been successfully introduced into camelina by metabolic engineering such as the very-long-chain omega-3 and other high-value oils (Bansal et al, 2018; Kim et al, 2015; Liu et al, 2015; Usher et al, 2017)
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