Variation in Fruit Traits and Seed Nutrient Compositions of Wild <i>Camellia oleifera</i>: Implications for <i>Camellia oleifera</i> Domestication
Kai-Feng Xing,
Yu-Jing Zou,
Hao-Xing Xie,
Shang Chen,
Jun Zhou,
Xie-Tian Luo,
Gong-Hu Chen,
Yao Zhao,
Ze-Yuan Deng,
Jun Rong,
Jing Li,
Jian Zhang
Affiliations
Kai-Feng Xing
Center for Watershed Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
Yu-Jing Zou
Center for Watershed Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
Hao-Xing Xie
Center for Watershed Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
Shang Chen
Center for Watershed Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
Jun Zhou
Center for Watershed Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
Xie-Tian Luo
School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
Gong-Hu Chen
Center for Watershed Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
Yao Zhao
Center for Watershed Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
Ze-Yuan Deng
State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
Jun Rong
Center for Watershed Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
Jing Li
State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
Jian Zhang
Center for Watershed Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
Camellia oleifera is a woody oil crop with the highest oil yield and the largest cultivation area in China, and C. oleifera seed oil is a high-quality edible oil recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The objectives of this study were to investigate the variation in fruit yield traits and seed chemical compositions of wild C. oleifera in China and to identify the differences between wild C. oleifera and cultivated varieties. In this study, we collected wild C. oleifera samples from 13 sites covering the main distribution areas of wild C. oleifera to comprehensively evaluate 25 quantitative traits of wild C. oleifera fruit and seed chemical compositions and collected data of 10 quantitative traits from 434 cultivated varieties for a comparative analysis of the differences between wild and cultivars. The results showed that the coefficients of variation of the 25 quantitative traits of wild C. oleifera ranged from 2.605% to 156.641%, with an average of 38.569%. The phenotypic differentiation coefficients ranged from 25.003% to 99.911%, with an average of 77.894%. The Shannon–Wiener index (H’) ranged from 0.195 to 1.681. Based on the results of principal component analysis (PCA) and phenotypic differentiation coefficients, 10 traits differed significantly between wild C. oleifera and cultivated varieties, while the differentiation coefficients (VST) for fresh fruit weight, oleic acid, unsaturated fatty acids, stearic acid, and saturated fatty acids were more than 95%, of which fresh fruit weight and oleic acid content were potential domestication traits of C. oleifera. The results of this study can contribute to the efficient excavation and utilization of wild C. oleifera genetic resources for C. oleifera breeding.
