Abstract
Little is known regarding the effect of fragmentation and human agricultural management on the genetic variation and gene flow of Cucurbita pepo L., 1753 in moderate fragmented areas in central Guatemala. We hypothesize that the genetic variation of C. pepo is affected by forest fragmentation and by traditional agricultural management. Therefore, we aim to determine: (1) the genetic diversity and genetic structure of C. pepo in the Cloud Forest Corridor (CFC) (2) the extent of genetic admixture between commercial variety (CV) and traditional landraces (TL) of C. pepo, (3) the effect of habitat fragmentation in the population genetics of C. pepo with a landscape approach, and (4) the potential relationship between traditional management practices and genetic diversity of C. pepo in the CFC. We detected the existence of high level of genetic diversity (AR = 3.43; He = 0.50), inbreeding (Fis = 0.25) and moderate population structure of C. pepo in the CFC (Fst = 0.16). No correlation between landscape and genetics was found. Also, we found high genetic admixture between CV and TL. It seems that human practices, mainly related with seed exchange patterns, could affect genetic diversity of C. pepo in the CFC. C. pepo populations in the CFC are structured, with inbreeding, and show admixture with the CV, an aspect that could affect its genetic diversity. The agricultural management influenced the population genetics of C. pepo in the CFC, but the landscape did not. We suggest that special efforts should be made to preserve the diversity of this important indigenous food source for Guatemalan people as well as their management practices.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Dr. Carlota Monroy and Dr. Ricardo Ayala, members of the Ph. D. Advisor Committee of E.E. for their guidance during her studies. Thanks to the administrative staff and the forest guard of the Quetzal Conservation Biotope in Baja Verapaz, Guatemala. Dr. M. Quesada kindly provided two of the microsatellite’s primers used in this study (CMTp 201 and CMTp 245; Project SEP-CONACYT 2009-131008). Dra. Laura Marquez Valdemar, Biology Institute, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) for her valuable help in genotyping. E.E. acknowledges the Graduate Program in Biological Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Financial support for this project was provided by the Science and Technology National Fund of Guatemala (FODECYT 15-2011) granted to E.E. Enríquez; and from the Laboratory of Ecological Genetics and Evolution, Institute of Ecology, National Autonomous University of Mexico UNAM.
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Enríquez, E., Landaverde-González, P., Lima-Cordón, R. et al. Population genetics of traditional landraces of Cucurbita pepo L., 1753 in the cloud forest in Baja Verapaz, Guatemala. Genet Resour Crop Evol 65, 979–991 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-017-0589-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-017-0589-y