Spatial distribution and genetic diversity of wild date palm (Phoenix sylvestris) growing in coastal Bangladesh

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the prospects of integrating simple sequence repeat (SSR) or microsatellite marker data into a geographical information system to anticipate spatial distribution of allelic diversity of wild date palms in Bangladesh. The genetic diversity, spatial distribution, and population structure were assessed in 38 genotypes of wild date palms using 12 SSR primer pairs. A total of 67 alleles were counted ranging from 4 (KSU-PDL74) to 8 (MPdCIR070). Major allele frequency was in the range of 0.26 (MPdCIR032) to 0.89 (KSU-PDL74), polymorphic information content ranged from 0.18 (KSU-PDL74) to 0.75 (MPdCIR032), and gene diversity ranged from 0.19 (KSU-PDL74) to 0.77 (MPdCIR032). Three major clusters were formed by the unrooted tree grouping. The population structure divided 38 genotypes into six populations. Population 1 and Population 2 each contained seven pure genotypes while Populations 3, 4, 5, and 6 contained 6, 4, 3, and 3 pure genotypes, respectively. The remaining eight genotypes were admixtures. The pairwise Fst estimate among sub-groups indicated that the six populations are undoubtedly different from each other. The date palm genotypes of Amtoli, Doshmina, and Kuakata in coastal Bangladesh contained the highest allelic diversity (13–15). SSR2-80 and SSR5-80 were considered to be the most important alleles for the identification of areas with unique diversity as these alleles are repetitively found in a small geographic area. Locally common alleles of Bangladeshi wild date palm were identified. Outcomes of this research will offer valuable guidelines for future breeding strategies and will be beneficial for assessment and conservation of Bangladeshi wild date palm genetic resources.