Proceedings of the XLVI Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics - SIGA Annual Congress

Giardini Naxos, Italy - 18/21 September, 2002

ISBN 88-900622-3-1

Poster Abstract - 4.38

Diversity between and within natural population of Lotus corniculatus from Central and South Italy on the basis of AFLP markers

Savo Sardaro M.L., Atallah M., Pagnotta M.A.

Dipartimernto di Agrobiologia e Agrochimica, Università della Tuscia, Via S.C. de Lellis, 01100 Viterbo

Lotus corniculatus, genetic-ecology, genetic resources, Birdsfoot trefoil, AFLP

Lotus corniculatus L. (Birdsfoot trefoil) is emerging as one of the high priority species for research in several Mediterranean environment, since it appears to have potentiality to develop new perennial legume cultivars for phase farming to reduce dryland salinity. L. corniculatus has previously been reported to contain varying levels of salt tolerance, and it is proposed that tolerance may be a result of adaptation as well as genetic inheritance. In fact, a concentrated focus on this species is starting and will be supported by the new Salinity CRC project for Plant based solutions to dryland salinity.

In the frame of a project sponsored by CLIMA (Australia), collection missions have been carry out in collaboration with the Perugia University (Dr. L. Russi) and the CNR of Sassari (Dr C. Porqueddu) in Central and South Italy. A total of 79 sites were surveyed, Birdsfoot trefoil was one of the widespread species been found in 33 sites.

Aim of present work is to assess, at the DNA level, the genetic variation present in Lotus corniculatus natural populations. The Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLP) were the markers utilized since are able to generate large numbers of polymorphic bands and require no previous sequencing knowledge about the species to be analysed.

Six primer combinations have been used, three with the restriction enzymes Eco RI-Mse I utilizing +3 +3 selective bases, and three with Pst I-Mse I utilizing +2 +2 selective bases. Huge amount of variation has been found both within and between accessions, nevertheless populations from South Italy are sharply different and clear identifiable, on the base of the amplification profile, from the one from Central Italy.