Relationships of the wild peanut species, section Arachis : A resource for botanical classification, crop improvement, and germplasm management

LEAL?BERTIOLI, SORAYA C. M.; DE BLAS, FRANCISCO J.; CAROLINA CHAVARRO, M.; SIMPSON, CHARLES E.; VALLS, JOSÉ F.M.; TALLURY, SHYAM P.; MORETZSOHN, MÁRCIO C.; CUSTODIO, ADRIANA R.; THOMAS STALKER, H.; SEIJO, GUILLERMO; BERTIOLI, DAVID J.

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY

BOTANICAL SOC AMER INC

Año: 2024 vol. 111

0002-9122

AbstractPremise: Wild species are strategic sources of valuable traits to be introduced intocrops through hybridization. For peanut, the 33 currently described wild species inthe section Arachis are particularly important because of their sexual compatibilitywith the domesticated species, Arachis hypogaea. Although numerous wild accessionsare carefully preserved in seed banks, their morphological similarities pose challengesto routine classification.Methods: Using a high‐density array, we genotyped 272 accessions encompassing alldiploid species in section Arachis. Detailed relationships between accessions andspecies were revealed through phylogenetic analyses and interpreted using theexpertise of germplasm collectors and curators.Results: Two main groups were identified: one with A genome species and the otherwith B, D, F, G, and K genomes. Species groupings generally showed clear boundaries.Structure within groups was informative, for instance, revealing the history of theproto‐domesticate A. stenosperma. However, some groupings suggested multiplesibling species. Others were polyphyletic, indicating the need for taxonomic revision.Annual species were better defined than perennial ones, revealing limitations inapplying classical and phylogenetic species concepts to the genus. We suggest newspecies assignments for several accessions.Conclusions: Curated by germplasm collectors and curators, this analysis of speciesrelationships lays the foundation for future species descriptions, classification ofunknown accessions, and germplasm use for peanut improvement. It supports theconservation and curation of current germplasm, both critical tasks considering thethreats to the genus posed by habitat loss and the current restrictions on newcollections and germplasm transfer.