Abstract
RAPD markers were used to estimate levels of genetic diversity and structure among twelve East African Tall (EAT) coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) accessions that are maintained at Chambezi station. Ten primers were used in the analysis of 120 accessions. Cluster analysis was performed based on Jaccard’s coefficient and Nei genetic distances. Further analyses included principal coordinate analysis (PCA) and finally bootstrap analysis. The cluster analysis revealed two main clusters. One cluster contained provenances from Lindi and Mtwara regions (south) and those from Coast and Dar es Salaam regions (central); the second had provenances from Tanga region, which is the northern part of the coastal belt. A similar distribution of provenances was shown by the results of the principal coordinate analysis, whose first three coordinates explained 56% of the total variation. The results were able to discriminate between the different provenances and provide evidence of the different origins for the coconut palms in the northern and southern parts of coastal coconut-growing belt. The two major clusters concur well with the history and distribution of coconuts in the coastal belt of Tanzania.
Highlights
The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.), a smallholder crop in Tanzania, is an important source of vegetable oil in the coastal belt and the Zanzibar islands
The accessions were established using seed nuts collected from the following locations: Livestock Breeding Station (LBS), Boza, Vuo and Mwambani in Tanga Region which is the northern part of the coastal belt; Chambezi Green, Chambezi Brown, R.C
KS MT NG MMK TU CHB CHG BG LBS BOZ VUO MWA 0.07. Both natural dispersal and intervention by man played an important role in the distribution and dispersal of the coconut palm
Summary
The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.), a smallholder crop in Tanzania, is an important source of vegetable oil in the coastal belt and the Zanzibar islands. It plays an important role in the sustainability of the agricultural systems in the often-fragile ecosystems of the tropical coastal belts [1]. The Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute (MARI) coconut germplasm collection at Chambezi has more than 30 EAT provenances, whose accessions are being screened in disease resistance trials. These were collected from different geographical locations along the Tanzania and Kenyan coasts. It is extremely important that the different genetic materials are well characterized and evaluated, the need for employing a reliable method of characterisation that is not influenced by the environment, i.e. DNA markers
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