Astragalus filipes metapopulations and release of
NBR-1 germplasm
Shaun Bushman
Doug Johnson
Kishor Bhattarai
Kevin Connors
Lisa Michaels
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Forage and Range Research Lab (FRRL)
• Our Mission:
Provide an array of improved plant materials and management
alternatives for sustainable stewardship of rangelands and pastures in the western U.S.
• Scientists: Genetics/Plant Breeding (6)
Molecular Biology (4)
Physiology/Ecology (2)
FRRL working groups
 Rangeland Ecology and Plant Improvement
 Dryland Biomass
 Irrigated Pastures
 Reduced-Input Turfgrass
Saratoga Springs 2007
RANGELAND PLANT ECOLOGY WORKING GROUP
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
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How Important are Legumes?
Legumes fix nitrogen.
Legumes provide high quality forage.
Legumes support critical pollinators.
Few Legumes available for dryland.
6/25/2009
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RANGELAND PLANT ECOLOGY WORKING GROUP
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
Native Legumes
• Can seed be economically produced?
1. What are the pollinators?
2. Is it amenable to mechanical harvest?
3. Seed cleaning, predators, storage, etc…
• Must germinate and establish well.
• Will anyone buy the seed?
6/25/2009
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RANGELAND PLANT ECOLOGY WORKING GROUP
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
Basalt milkvetch
Precip zone: 22 – 50 cm annual
Toxicity: no alkaloids, no swainsonine, low nitrotoxins
Biomass: highly variable among collections
Seed mass: 0.45 g / 100 seeds Seed predators: weevils can be a problem
Collections: 81 from western NA
6/25/2009
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RANGELAND PLANT ECOLOGY WORKING GROUP
Biotechnology and genetic relationships
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
Even though they look alike, how similar are they deep down? 6/25/2009
If DNA information shows there are local differences in some collections, then it may be appropriate to keep those collections separate. 8
BC collections
Central NV collections
6/25/2009
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RANGELAND PLANT ECOLOGY WORKING GROUP
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
Basalt milkvetch collections
British Columbia collections were unique.
Central Nevada collections were somewhat unique.
6/25/2009
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RANGELAND PLANT ECOLOGY WORKING GROUP
0.90
0.90
0.85
0.85
AFLP Band Similarity Value
AFLP Band Similarity Value
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
Genetic similarity within populations
0.80
0.75
0.70
0.65
0.60
C
NV
ID
WA,CA
OR
0.70
0.65
0.60
0.50
A. filipes Collections in Descending S‐value Order
0.90
A. filipes Collections Sorted by State Boundary
Top left: significant slope of similarity
values indicates variation for diversity.
0.85
AFLP band similarity value
0.75
BC
0.55
0.55
0.50
0.80
0.80
0.75
Top right: highly significant differences in
population diversity separated by state.
0.70
0.65
0.60
0.55
0.50
A. filipes collecti ons sorted by L‐III ecoregions
Left: significant differences in population
diversity separated by L-III ecoregions.
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RANGELAND PLANT ECOLOGY WORKING GROUP
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
6/25/2009
NBR‐1
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RANGELAND PLANT ECOLOGY WORKING GROUP
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
Accession
Af-16
Af-45.1
Af-41
Af-69
Af-18
Af-15
Af-63
Af-20
Af-8
Af-9
Af-13
Af-14
6/25/2009
NBR‐1 population similarities
State /
Province
CA
ID
NV
UT
OR
CA
OR
OR
OR
OR
OR
OR
County
Modoc
Owyhee
Elko
Box Elder
Lake
Modoc
Lake
Harney
Harney
Harney
Harney
Harney
No.
Mean S-value
Plants
10
0.692
10
0.667
10
0.667
9
0.666
10
0.664
8
0.664
10
0.658
8
0.652
10
0.647
10
0.645
9
0.633
10
0.622
NBR-1 ave
0.656
whole pop ave
0.681
Oregon ave
0.643
Std. Err. Svalue
0.007
0.008
0.007
0.011
0.026
0.011
0.018
0.013
0.010
0.006
0.012
0.011
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RANGELAND PLANT ECOLOGY WORKING GROUP
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
The future
Goals:
1.Obtain consistent and reliable seed production of NBR‐1.
2.Publish genetic results so that those concerned about geographical context of seed sources will be able to choose where to use our materials.
Status:
1.Foundation seed production is in the hands of one company, and we are also increasing seed. We actively seek any cooperators willing to try.
Doug Johnson: 435‐797‐3067 doug.johnson@ars.usda.gov
6/25/2009
Shaun Bushman: 435‐797‐2901
shaun.bushman@ars.usda.gov
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