What is it about?
We analyzed genetic differences between sea beet samples collected from many countries. We found that samples harvested from the same region tend to be genetically similar whereas samples are more genetically diverse if harvested from more distant regions. Sea beet samples from seashore of the north Atlantic Ocean are the most genetically distinct from cultivated beet and sea beet collected from the rest of the regions. Sea beet samples harvested from northern Egypt and northwest Morrocco are genetically more isolated.
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Why is it important?
All cultivated beet (sugar, table, leaf, and fodder) originated from sea beet, a wild beet species widely distributed along the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean in northern, western and southern Europe, as well as northern Africa. Sugarbeet is an important source of sucrose used for natural sweetening, but genetic improvements are needed to maintain the durability and sustainability of this crop. Understanding the evolution of sea beet will be particularly useful for sugarbeet breeding.
Perspectives
This research indicated that sea beet likely spread from the coast of Mediterranean Sea by marine currents, which resulted in the divergence of sea beet in different regions. This study provides important information for the conservation, collection, and utilization of wild sea beet to sustain sugarbeet improvement.
chenggen chu
USDA-ARS, Sugarbeet Research Unit, Fargo, ND
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Genetic drift, historic migration, and limited gene flow contributing to the subpopulation divergence in wild sea beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima (L.) Arcang), PLOS One, September 2024, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308626.
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