Browsing by Autor "Helena Persson Hovmalm"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2

Analysis of Genetic Diversity of Fescue Populations from the Highlands of Bolivia Using EST-SSR Markers
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2022) Karina Ustariz; Mulatu Geleta; Helena Persson Hovmalm; Rodomiro Ortíz
In the highlands of Bolivia, native Festuca species are an important source of feed for animals due to their high tolerance to low temperatures and drought. Using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers developed from expressed sequence tags (ESTs), the genetic diversity of 43 populations of Festuca species from Oruro, La Paz, Potosi and Cochabamba departments was evaluated for the purpose of providing information for effective conservation and breeding. In total, 64 alleles were detected across the 43 populations. SSR locus NFA 142 (with 12 alleles) had the highest number of detected alleles, while locus FES 13 (with eight alleles) had the highest polymorphism information content (PIC) at 0.55. Based on Nei's genetic distance between populations, the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) cluster analysis revealed two major clusters, each consisting of populations from the four departments. However, the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that only 5% of the total variation separated these two groups, indicating low genetic differentiation between the populations. It was also found that there was a low but significant differentiation (0.08%) between the population groups of the four departments (p = 0.01). The newly developed EST-SSR markers are highly valuable for evaluating the genetic diversity of Bolivian fescues and other related species.
Mineral composition and nutritive value of Festuca ecotypes originated from the highland region of Bolivia and cultivars from Argentina
(Southern Cross Publishing, 2019) Karina Ustariz; Mulatu Geleta; Helena Persson Hovmalm; Franz Gutierrez; Jorge Alonso Beltrán; Rodomiro Ortíz
Native grasses constitute the most important source of feed for camelids, sheep and cattle in the highlands of Bolivia, where the genus Festuca is one of the major feed components. This study was carried out to investigate the nutritional value of 11 Festuca ecotypes from the highlands of Bolivia and two cultivars from Argentina (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. cv. ‘Taita’ and Festulolium). All ecotypes were grown in the same experimental field and their protein, ash, cellulose, moisture and micronutrients (Al, B, Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, S, Si and Zn) content was determined. Principal component analysis and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) cluster analysis, based on all nutrients, clearly defined the two Argentinian cultivars as outliers. This differentiation was mainly explained by their cellulose, ash, Mn and Al contents. Analysis of variance based on the origin of the accessions revealed highly significant (P < 0.001) differences for their cellulose, ash, Mn and Mg contents, while they differ significantly (P < 0.05) in Ni, Fe, Na and Al contents. There was a highly significant positive correlation between several pairs of minerals including Mg–Ca (r = 0.94) and Mg–Zn (r = 0.92). Negatively correlated pairs of minerals include B–Fe (r = - 0.65) and B–Ni (r = - 0.58). This study provides useful information about the nutritive quality of Bolivian Festuca ecotypes for their use in breeding programs of this forage grass in the Andean highlands of South America.