Genetic Diversity and Population Structure Analysis of <i>Pinus elliottii</i> Germplasm Resources in Jiangxi Province
Min Yi,
Rong Hu,
Wending Huang,
Tingxuan Chen,
Wenlei Xie,
Haiping Xie,
Xin Luo,
Meng Lai
Affiliations
Min Yi
Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropical Forest Resources Cultivation, 2011 Collaboration Innovation Center of Jiangxi Typical Trees Cultivation and Utilization, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
Rong Hu
Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropical Forest Resources Cultivation, 2011 Collaboration Innovation Center of Jiangxi Typical Trees Cultivation and Utilization, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
Wending Huang
Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropical Forest Resources Cultivation, 2011 Collaboration Innovation Center of Jiangxi Typical Trees Cultivation and Utilization, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
Tingxuan Chen
Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropical Forest Resources Cultivation, 2011 Collaboration Innovation Center of Jiangxi Typical Trees Cultivation and Utilization, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
Wenlei Xie
Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropical Forest Resources Cultivation, 2011 Collaboration Innovation Center of Jiangxi Typical Trees Cultivation and Utilization, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
Haiping Xie
Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropical Forest Resources Cultivation, 2011 Collaboration Innovation Center of Jiangxi Typical Trees Cultivation and Utilization, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
Xin Luo
Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropical Forest Resources Cultivation, 2011 Collaboration Innovation Center of Jiangxi Typical Trees Cultivation and Utilization, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
Meng Lai
Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropical Forest Resources Cultivation, 2011 Collaboration Innovation Center of Jiangxi Typical Trees Cultivation and Utilization, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
This study aimed to compare and assess the genetic diversity and trends among the introduced family provenance, first-cycle superior trees breeding provenance, and improved-generation superior trees breeding provenance of Pinus elliottii using EST-SSR markers. The goal was to provide a foundation for advanced genetic improvement and sustainable utilization of P. elliottii in Jiangxi Province. A total of 417 individuals were analyzed for their genetic diversity and population structure using 19 pairs of SSR markers. The analysis identified 103 alleles across all the samples, with an average of 5.421 alleles per locus. Compared to other coniferous species, P. elliottii exhibited a moderate to high level of genetic diversity (I = 0.862, He = 0.457). Analysis of the molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that 97.90% of the genetic variation occurred within provenances, consistent with a low genetic differentiation coefficient (Fst = 0.016 Nm = 15.715) among provenances. In addition, analysis using STRUCTURE v. 2.3.4 software divided the 417 germplasm samples into two distinct groups, corroborating the results of the principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) and the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic (UPGMA) clustering analysis. Overall, the germplasm resources of P. elliottii exhibited rich genetic diversity, with the majority of the genetic variation occurring within provenances. For the genetic improvement of high-resin-yielding slash pines, breeding programs should prioritize populations with high genetic diversity while carefully selecting superior individuals from within those populations. These findings provide a solid foundation for breeding high-resin-yielding varieties and for future research on the sustainable utilization of these valuable resources.
