Abstract Detail

Population Genetics/Genomics

Lum, Romy [1], Waselkov, Katherine [2], Riggins, Chance [3].

Using Evolutionary Genomics to Probe Agricultural Invasiveness in Amaranthus palmeri.

Palmer amaranth is a weedy plant species native to the Southwestern U.S. that invades agricultural areas, severely impacts crop yields, and has evolved resistance to several major herbicide classes. While several mechanisms of herbicide resistance have been characterized, little work has been done on the ecological and genetic mechanisms behind the invasions. We hypothesize that the invasive populations of Palmer amaranth in the Southwestern U.S. and Central California originated from their closest spatial relatives. In order to understand how these invasions occurred and where the invaders originated, we sampled representative populations of Palmer amaranth from the invaded areas and included controls from non-invasive populations in their original environment in the native range. We extracted DNA from these populations, and are currently using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) to generate genetic data. These data will be aligned using a UNEAK pipeline and filtered for depth and clarity, then analyzed in STRUCTURE 2.3.4 to qualify and quantify population structure. We will also use R-based packages for principal component analysis (PCA), pairwise fixation index (F_ST), inbreeding coefficient (F_is), expected (H_E) and observed (H_O) heterozygosity, total alleles and allelic richness per locus, and AMOVA to examine the partitioning of genetic diversity between and within populations. We expect the various analyses to show invasive species are most closely related to their closest spatial, non-invasive relatives. We would also expect invasive populations to show as much genetic diversity as non-invasive populations. These results would suggest that to establish an invasive population, there must be multiple establishment events and a population of non-native Palmer nearby. It is important to understand these invasions; the data gathered from our experiments can be used in further research on invasive species and the evolution of invasiveness, and will have important implications for agricultural growers and herbicide resistance management.

1 - CSU Fresno, Biology, 2555 East San Ramon Ave, M/S SB73, California State University, Fresno, Fresno, CA, 93740, US
2 - California State University, Fresno, Biology Department, M/S SB73, 2555 E. San Ramon Ave., Science 1, Fresno, CA, 93740, United States
3 - University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Crop Sciences, 1201 West Gregory Drive, 331 Erml, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States

Keywords:
genomics
Weed Science
bioinformatics.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P, Population Genetics/Genomics Posters
Location: Arizona Ballroom/Starr Pass
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2019
Time: 5:30 PM This poster will be presented at 6:15 pm. The Poster Session runs from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Posters with odd poster numbers are presented at 5:30 pm, and posters with even poster numbers are presented at 6:15 pm.
Number: PPG014
Abstract ID:815
Candidate for Awards:None