- 321 Birge Hall / Botany Department
430 Lincoln Drive
Madison, Wisconsin 53706 - Office phone: 608-890-1170
Eve Emshwiller
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Botany, Faculty Member
- Conservation Genetics, Botany, Ethnobotany, Agriculture (Biology), Evolutionary Biology, Ethnobiology, and 27 moreSystematic Biology, Plant Systematics, Sustainable Agriculture (Sustainability), Food History, Plant domestication (Prehistoric Archaeology), Agricultural Biodiversity, Mountain communities, Conservation Biology, Biodiversity, Molecular Markers, Agricultural Botany, Ethnobotany in South America, Flow Cytometry, Molecular Systematics, Agroecology, Clonal Plants, South America (Archaeology), North American (Archaeology), Indigeneous Peoples of South America, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Polyploids, Andean underutilized crops, Crop genetic diversity, Paleoethnobotany (Anthropology), Anthropology of Food, and Etnobotánicaedit
- Eve Emshwiller’s research interests center on the ethnobotany, evolution, and conservation of crop plants and their w... moreEve Emshwiller’s research interests center on the ethnobotany, evolution, and conservation of crop plants and their wild relatives. Her research has focused principally on the domestication, the origin of polyploidy, and the ongoing evolution of the Andean tuber crop “oca,” Oxalis tuberosa, and its wild allies. Her current research includes an international collaborative project on phylogeny of the genus Oxalis and a study of the distribution of clonal genotypes of cultivated oca as an example of the evolution of clonally-propagated crops under human influence. She is currently collaborating with the Bolivian National Germplasm Bank to help expand their collection of crop wild relatives. She has been a member of the faculty of the Department of Botany at University of Wisconsin - Madison since 2006. Previously she was Adjunct Curator of Economic Botany at the Field Museum in Chicago for ~7.5 years. Between her two stints as a student at Cornell (graduate student in the 1990s, undergrad in the mid-1970s), she lived in Maine for 12 years and worked in gardens and greenhouses. Most of her field work to date has been conducted in the central Andean region, including a student Fulbright year in Peru in 1996-7 and an ongoing Serial Fulbright Scholar Grant in Bolivia (3 segments from 2013 to 2016). She has been active in the Society for Economic Botany, including serving as its 2009-2010 president.edit
Mary Saunders Bulan, Jiangchong Wu, Eve Emshwiller, Mark E. Berres, Joshua L. Posner, Duoyi Peng, Xinhui Wang, Junfang Li, David E. Stoltenberg, Yanping Zhang (2015) Social and environmental influences on tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum... more
Mary Saunders Bulan, Jiangchong Wu, Eve Emshwiller, Mark E. Berres, Joshua L. Posner, Duoyi Peng, Xinhui Wang, Junfang Li, David E. Stoltenberg, Yanping Zhang (2015) Social and environmental influences on tartary buckwheat
(Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) varietal diversity in Yunnan,
China Genet Resour Crop Evol DOI 10.1007/s10722-015-0337-0
Effective conservation strategies aimed to protect crop genetic resources require multiple sources of information. We used a combination of AFLP genotyping and farmer surveys to understand the extent, distribution and management of tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) diversity in its center of origin in Yunnan Province, China. We found genetic evidence of gene flow in tartary buckwheat throughout the study area, with small but statistically significant regional and village-level components. We also found genetic differentiation by seed color. Although most farmers reported exchanging seed in localized kinship networks, our results imply homogenizing gene flow is occurring. Yi ethnic farmers tend to plant more buckwheat than non-Yi farmers, and we found that in some communities, Yi farmers serve as seed sources for farmers of other ethnicities. Different tartary buckwheat varieties did not have different end uses; rather farmers maintained varietal diversity in order to protect crop yield and quality. Individual farmers’ seed exchange practices reflect their ideas about components of seed quality, as well as priorities in protecting buckwheat yield. From the standpoint of genetic resources conservation, the presence of a culturally rich farmer exchange network and hierarchical structuring of tartary buckwheat genetic diversity demonstrates the importance of maintaining an interlinked community of tartary buckwheat farmers in Yunnan.
(Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) varietal diversity in Yunnan,
China Genet Resour Crop Evol DOI 10.1007/s10722-015-0337-0
Effective conservation strategies aimed to protect crop genetic resources require multiple sources of information. We used a combination of AFLP genotyping and farmer surveys to understand the extent, distribution and management of tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) diversity in its center of origin in Yunnan Province, China. We found genetic evidence of gene flow in tartary buckwheat throughout the study area, with small but statistically significant regional and village-level components. We also found genetic differentiation by seed color. Although most farmers reported exchanging seed in localized kinship networks, our results imply homogenizing gene flow is occurring. Yi ethnic farmers tend to plant more buckwheat than non-Yi farmers, and we found that in some communities, Yi farmers serve as seed sources for farmers of other ethnicities. Different tartary buckwheat varieties did not have different end uses; rather farmers maintained varietal diversity in order to protect crop yield and quality. Individual farmers’ seed exchange practices reflect their ideas about components of seed quality, as well as priorities in protecting buckwheat yield. From the standpoint of genetic resources conservation, the presence of a culturally rich farmer exchange network and hierarchical structuring of tartary buckwheat genetic diversity demonstrates the importance of maintaining an interlinked community of tartary buckwheat farmers in Yunnan.
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Beck, Stephan G. and Eve Emshwiller. (2014). Hypseocharitaceae. In: P. M. Jørgensen et al. (eds.), Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares de Bolivia. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Volume 1: 728.
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Economic development in southwest China and the increasing use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) worldwide have led to intensified collection of native medicinal plants. Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don (Chuan Bei Mu), commonly used for... more
Economic development in southwest China and the increasing use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) worldwide have led to intensified collection of native medicinal plants. Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don (Chuan Bei Mu), commonly used for the treatment of cough in TCM, is endemic to the Hengduan Mountain region of southwest China and is under increasing pressure from over-collection and decreasing suitable alpine habitat. The bioactive compounds in F. cirrhosa bulbs, isosteroidal alkaloids, are greatly influenced by environmental conditions and fluctuate in content and concentration with plant age and reproductive stage. Aiming at obtaining useful information for the sustainable management of wild F. cirrhosa populations, we evaluated how the phytochemical composition of F. cirrhosa bulbs varies at various stages of plant reproductive development. Using chemical methods and high performance liquid chromatography, two major bioactive alkaloids were extracted and analyzed from F. cirrhosa bulb samples collected throughout the Hengduan Mountain region. Plant reproductive stage was found to affect the concentration of bioactive alkaloids in F. cirrhosa bulbs. Bulb alkaloid concentration was highest during the early stages of fruit development and decreased significantly with fruit maturation. These results lend biochemical support to the practice of harvesting F. cirrhosa during the early stages of plant senescence (i.e., early fruit development).
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The origins and monophyly of the bulbous habit in the eudicot genus Oxalis are uncertain, but key character state transitions in the evolution of true bulbs are currently thought to be reflected in extant pseudobulbous and other... more
The origins and monophyly of the bulbous habit in the eudicot genus Oxalis are uncertain, but key character state transitions in the evolution of true bulbs are currently thought to be reflected in extant pseudobulbous and other geophytic taxa. We test the relationships between the two major groups of bulbous Oxalis taxa, namely the southern African lineage which is centered in the speciose Cape Floristic Region (CFR), and the New World section Ionoxalis, by including the rhizomatous geophyte Oxalis acetosella, the caudiciform stem succulent Oxalis articulata, and the rhizomiform pseudobulbous Oxalis triangularis, in combined phylogenetic analyses of nrITS and trnL-F sequence data. We optimize several key bulbous characters in ancestral state reconstructions on produced phylogenies. Results of our analyses indicate that the evolution of bulbous characters in the genus is more complex than previously thought. Although the two major bulb types are homologous, the rhizomiform pseudobulbous habit arises from within true bulbs, and in most reconstructions the caudiciform stem succulent O. articulata is inferred to have secondarily lost several distinctive bulbous characters. O. acetosella is not as closely related to the bulbous lineage as previously thought. More sampling from other key taxa are needed before the order in which key bulbous characters were acquired can be verified. We discuss these results in terms of the taxonomic and ecological implications for the CFR Oxalis taxa.
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The Role of Organic Acids in the Domestication of Oxalis tuberosa: A New Model for Studying Domestication Resulting in Opposing Crop Phenotypes. Though few crops display directly opposing domesticated phenotypes, these crops may be the... more
The Role of Organic Acids in the Domestication of Oxalis tuberosa: A New Model for Studying Domestication Resulting in Opposing Crop Phenotypes. Though few crops display directly opposing domesticated phenotypes, these crops may be the key to understanding domestication processes that address conflicting selective pressures in the agricultural ecosystem. Two relatively well-known examples are cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), which has high-cyanide and low-cyanide varieties, and potato (Solanum section Petota). Among the potatoes are several species, including the common potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), that have low levels of glycoalkaloids and there are other species of “bitter potato” with elevated levels of glycoalkaloids. We propose that Oxalis tuberosa Molina, “oca,” may represent a third example of such a crop system, with opposing high organic acid and low organic acid cultivars. Each cultivar set has different cultural food preparation practices (“use-categories”), similar to the “use-categories” that have been described for potatoes in the Andes (Brush et al. Economic Botany 35;70–88, 1981; Zimmerer Journal of Biogeography 18;165–178, 1991). Our initial analyses suggest that organic acids in tubers may be an important biochemical difference between use-categories, based on both oxalic acid and pH data. Here, we review our understanding of organic acids in oca tubers, while highlighting areas that merit further investigation.
Los ácidos orgánicos y la domesticación de Oxalis tuberosa: un nuevo modelo para el estudio de la domesticación que resulta en los fenotipos domésticos opuestos. Aunque pocos cultivos presentan fenotipos domésticos directamente opuestos , estos cultivos pueden ser la clave para entender los procesos de domesticación que muestran conflicto en la presión selectiva en el ecosistema agrícola. Dos ejemplos relativamente bien conocidos son la yuca (Manihot esculenta Crantz), que tiene variedades de alto y bajo contenido de cianuro, y la papa (Solanum sección Petota). Entre las papas hay varias especies, incluyendo la papa común (Solanum tuberosum L.), que tienen bajos niveles de glicoalcaloides mientras otras especies como las "papas amargas", tienen elevados niveles de glicoalcaloides. Nosotros proponemos que Oxalis tuberosa Molina, oca, puede representar un tercer ejemplo de este sistema de cultivo, con niveles altos y bajos de ácidos orgánicos. Cada grupo de variedades de oca tiene diferentes practicas culturales respecto a su preparación como alimentos (categorías de uso), similar a las categorías de uso que se han descrito para las papas en los Andes (Brush et al. Economic Botany 35;70–88, 1981; Zimmerer Journal of Biogeography 18;165–178, 1991). Los análisis iniciales sugieren que los ácidos orgánicos en los tubérculos pueden deberse a una diferencia bioquímica importante entre el uso de categorías basadas en el ácido oxálico y los datos de pH. En este artículo examinamos nuestra interpretación de los ácidos orgánicos en los tubérculos de oca, además de destacar las áreas que merecen mayor investigación.
Los ácidos orgánicos y la domesticación de Oxalis tuberosa: un nuevo modelo para el estudio de la domesticación que resulta en los fenotipos domésticos opuestos. Aunque pocos cultivos presentan fenotipos domésticos directamente opuestos , estos cultivos pueden ser la clave para entender los procesos de domesticación que muestran conflicto en la presión selectiva en el ecosistema agrícola. Dos ejemplos relativamente bien conocidos son la yuca (Manihot esculenta Crantz), que tiene variedades de alto y bajo contenido de cianuro, y la papa (Solanum sección Petota). Entre las papas hay varias especies, incluyendo la papa común (Solanum tuberosum L.), que tienen bajos niveles de glicoalcaloides mientras otras especies como las "papas amargas", tienen elevados niveles de glicoalcaloides. Nosotros proponemos que Oxalis tuberosa Molina, oca, puede representar un tercer ejemplo de este sistema de cultivo, con niveles altos y bajos de ácidos orgánicos. Cada grupo de variedades de oca tiene diferentes practicas culturales respecto a su preparación como alimentos (categorías de uso), similar a las categorías de uso que se han descrito para las papas en los Andes (Brush et al. Economic Botany 35;70–88, 1981; Zimmerer Journal of Biogeography 18;165–178, 1991). Los análisis iniciales sugieren que los ácidos orgánicos en los tubérculos pueden deberse a una diferencia bioquímica importante entre el uso de categorías basadas en el ácido oxálico y los datos de pH. En este artículo examinamos nuestra interpretación de los ácidos orgánicos en los tubérculos de oca, además de destacar las áreas que merecen mayor investigación.
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In continuing study of the origins of the octoploid tuber crop oca, Oxalis tuberosa Molina, we used phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences of the chloroplast-active (nuclear encoded) isozyme of glutamine synthetase (ncpGS) from cultivated... more
In continuing study of the origins of the octoploid tuber crop oca, Oxalis tuberosa Molina, we used phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences of the chloroplast-active (nuclear encoded) isozyme of glutamine synthetase (ncpGS) from cultivated oca, its allies in the "Oxalis tuberosa alliance," and other Andean Oxalis. Multiple ncpGS sequences found within individuals of both the cultigen and a yet unnamed wild tuber-bearing taxon of Bolivia were separated by molecular cloning, but some cloned sequences appeared to be artifacts of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) recombination and/or Taq error. Nonetheless, three classes of nonrecombinant sequences each joined a different part of the O. tuberosa alliance clade on the ncpGS gene tree. Octoploid oca shares two sequence classes with the Bolivian tuber-bearing taxon (of unknown ploidy level). Fixed heterozygosity of these two sequence classes in all ocas sampled suggests that they represent homeologous loci and that oca is allopolyploid. A third sequence class, found in eight of nine oca plants sampled, might represent a third homeologous locus, suggesting that oca may be autoallopolyploid, and is shared with another wild tuber-bearing species, tetraploid O. picchensis of southern Peru. Thus, ncpGS data identify these two taxa as the best candidates as progenitors of cultivated oca.
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The ‘Oxalis tuberosa alliance’ is a group of Andean Oxalis species allied to the Andean tuber crop O. tuberosa Molina (Oxalidaceae), commonly known as ‘oca’. As part of a larger project studying the origins of polyploidy and... more
The ‘Oxalis tuberosa alliance’ is a group of Andean Oxalis species allied to the Andean tuber crop O. tuberosa Molina (Oxalidaceae), commonly known as ‘oca’. As part of a larger project studying the origins of polyploidy and domestication of cultivated oca, flow cytometry was used to survey DNA ploidy levels among Bolivian and Peruvian accessions of alliance members. In addition, this study provided a first assessment of C‐values in the alliance by estimating nuclear DNA contents of these accessions using chicken erythrocytes as internal standard. Ten Bolivian accessions of cultivated O. tuberosa were confirmed to be octoploid, with a mean nuclear DNA content of approx. 3·6 pg/2C. Two Peruvian wild Oxalis species, O. phaeotricha and O. picchensis, were inferred to be tetraploid (both with approx. 1·67 pg/2C), the latter being one of the putative progenitors of O. tuberosa identified by chloroplast‐expressed glutamine synthetase data in prior work. The remaining accessions (from 78 populations provisionally identified as 35 species) were DNA diploid, with nuclear DNA contents varying from 0·79 to 1·34 pg/2C.
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The Oxalis tuberosa alliance is a group of morphologically similar Oxalis species allied to the Andean tuber crop oca, O. tuberosa. Originally described by cytologists as a dozen species sharing a base chromosome number rare in Oxalis (x... more
The Oxalis tuberosa alliance is a group of morphologically similar Oxalis species allied to the Andean tuber crop oca, O. tuberosa. Originally described by cytologists as a dozen species sharing a base chromosome number rare in Oxalis (x = 8), the alliance as defined here includes additional species for which cytological information is not yet available but which are supported as members on molecular and/or morphological grounds. The alliance includes members found in the Andean region from Venezuela to northern Argentina, with one species at high elevations in Central America. They occur from the high Andean steppes (páramo and puna) to the cloud forests of middle elevations and include both restricted endemics and variable widespread species complexes. Geographical and altitudinal distributions of members of the alliance and selected Oxalis species outside the alliance were compared with a combined phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequence data of ITS and ncpGS (chloroplast-expressed glutamine synthetase). Groups within the alliance (i.e., major clades on the molecular trees) occur across widespread, overlapping regions in the Andes, with only partial ecological separation. The hypothesis that the O. tuberosa alliance may have developed in the Andes of southern Peru and northwestern Bolivia and radiated southward and, especially, northward along the Andean axis is suggested by patterns of distributions of members of the alliance and outgroups. In spite of uncertain species delimitations, it is clear that the alliance includes many endemic species and ecotypes that have very restricted distributions. As relatives of the Andean tuber crop Oxalis tuberosa, the genetic diversity represented by this geographical variability should be a high priority for conservation.
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Chloroplast-expressed glutamine synthetase (ncpGS), a nuclear-encoded gene containing several introns, is introduced as a tool for phylogenetic studies at lower taxonomic levels. This gene is a member of a multigene family, but it... more
Chloroplast-expressed glutamine synthetase (ncpGS), a nuclear-encoded gene containing several introns, is introduced as a tool for phylogenetic studies at lower taxonomic levels. This gene is a member of a multigene family, but it diverged long ago from the cytosolic-expressed members of the family and appears to be single copy in the majority of taxa examined to date. The conservation of both coding sequence and position of introns has allowed the design of primers for use in a broad range of dicot taxa to amplify and sequence a region of ncpGS that contains four introns. The utility of this region in phylogenetic studies of congeneric species is illustrated by an example using eight Oxalis species. The four introns in these taxa are typical in size (76 to 136 bp), base composition (high T content), and structure (e.g., sequence of splice sites and putative branch points) for plant internal introns. Levels of variation among these ncpGS sequences compare favorably with those of the internal transcribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS) from the same taxa, and results of phylogenetic analysis of ncpGS data are generally congruent with previous results using ITS.
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As part of a study aimed at elucidating the origins of the octoploid tuber crop "oca," Oxalis tuberosa, DNA sequences of the internal trancribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA ITS) were determined for oca and several wild Oxalis... more
As part of a study aimed at elucidating the origins of the octoploid tuber crop "oca," Oxalis tuberosa, DNA sequences of the internal trancribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA ITS) were determined for oca and several wild Oxalis species, mostly from Bolivia. Phylogenetic analysis of these data supports a group of these species as being close relatives of oca, in agreement with morphology and cytology, but at odds with traditional infrageneric taxonomy. Variation in ITS sequences within this group is quite low (0-7 substitutions in the entire ITS region), contrasting with the highly divergent (unalignable in some cases) sequences within the genus overall. Some groups of morphologically differentiated species were found to have identical sequences, notably a group that includes oca, wild populations of Oxalis that bear small tubers, and several other clearly distinct species. The presence of a second, minor sequence type in at least some oca accessions suggests a possible contribution from a second genome donor, also from within this same species group. ITS data lack sufficient variation to elucidate the origins of oca precisely, but have identified a pool of candidate species and so can be used as a tool to screen yet unsampled species for possible progenitors.
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The gibberellins (GAs) of both vegetative (leaves and stems) and reproductive (pods and seeds) tissue of the G2 strain of peas Pisum sativum L. were characterized in purified extracts by a combination of sequential silicic-acid partition... more
The gibberellins (GAs) of both vegetative (leaves and stems) and reproductive (pods and seeds) tissue of the G2 strain of peas Pisum sativum L. were characterized in purified extracts by a combination of sequential silicic-acid partition column chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Gibberellins A19, A20, A29 and an A29 catabolite were identified in both types of tissue. Gibberellins A9, A17 and A44 were also found in pods and seeds.
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One target of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation involves conserving genetic diversity of crops. In addition, the UN-FAO’s 2nd State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (SoWPGRFA) report recommends that... more
One target of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation involves conserving genetic diversity of crops. In addition, the UN-FAO’s 2nd State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (SoWPGRFA) report recommends that more attention be given to “minor crops,” recognizing that even those crops that are not among the most important ones worldwide are nonetheless crucial components of the food systems of particular world regions. The ex-situ conservation of vegetatively-propagated crops faces particular challenges compared to seed-propagated crops that can be maintained as frozen seed. Thus, complementary in-situ conservation strategies are even more needed to maintain local diversity as a vital resource for food security in rural communities.
One goal of the SoWPGRFA report is to “develop better indicators and methodologies to assess conservation status and threats.” Because conservation of crop diversity requires information about how that diversity is distributed geographically, the use of GIS techniques for the study of crop diversity is increasing. However, this does not usually include the use of methods from geographical genetics and spatial statistics. We conducted spatial statistical analyses of the Andean tuber crop “oca” Oxalis tuberosa, as a model to study the evolution of clonally-propagated crops under human influence. Because clonal crops differ from seed-propagated crops in their conservation needs, we used oca as an example to study how human-mediated dispersal affects the genetic structure of clonal crop populations, i.e., how the exchange of planting material among farmers determines the distribution of oca’s clonal genotypes in traditional Andean agriculture.
Cultivated oca was sampled randomly in carefully-distributed localities throughout the Peruvian Andes, and samples were subsequently cultivated in a highland experiment station of INIA (Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria) for morphological and molecular analyses. Spatial statistical analyses of AFLP data of 954 oca individuals from 38 localities were done for both individual AFLP alleles and clonal genotypes, the latter determined by both AFLP and morphological data. One finding with important conservation implications is that many oca clonal genotypes have very restricted geographic distributions; some were found in only four or fewer communities. Most of these were restricted to a particular area in Peru, whereas a few others were found in scattered, discontinuous areas. Our initial spatial autocorrelation analyses (Moran’s I and join-count) yielded many very strong but unusual patterns across both spatial scales and genotypes. This indicates that there are other factors besides geographic distance which have shaped the distribution of genotypes, and we continue to investigate what these factors may be.
In addition to the cultigen, wild Oxalis species were also collected, including a wild, tuber-bearing taxon found in highland provinces of Lima Department. The latter taxon was included in continuing research to determine the progenitors of cultivated oca, but the results using AFLP data did not support these populations as likely progenitors of oca (Emshwiller et al. 2009. Amer. J. Botany 96:1839-1848).
One goal of the SoWPGRFA report is to “develop better indicators and methodologies to assess conservation status and threats.” Because conservation of crop diversity requires information about how that diversity is distributed geographically, the use of GIS techniques for the study of crop diversity is increasing. However, this does not usually include the use of methods from geographical genetics and spatial statistics. We conducted spatial statistical analyses of the Andean tuber crop “oca” Oxalis tuberosa, as a model to study the evolution of clonally-propagated crops under human influence. Because clonal crops differ from seed-propagated crops in their conservation needs, we used oca as an example to study how human-mediated dispersal affects the genetic structure of clonal crop populations, i.e., how the exchange of planting material among farmers determines the distribution of oca’s clonal genotypes in traditional Andean agriculture.
Cultivated oca was sampled randomly in carefully-distributed localities throughout the Peruvian Andes, and samples were subsequently cultivated in a highland experiment station of INIA (Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria) for morphological and molecular analyses. Spatial statistical analyses of AFLP data of 954 oca individuals from 38 localities were done for both individual AFLP alleles and clonal genotypes, the latter determined by both AFLP and morphological data. One finding with important conservation implications is that many oca clonal genotypes have very restricted geographic distributions; some were found in only four or fewer communities. Most of these were restricted to a particular area in Peru, whereas a few others were found in scattered, discontinuous areas. Our initial spatial autocorrelation analyses (Moran’s I and join-count) yielded many very strong but unusual patterns across both spatial scales and genotypes. This indicates that there are other factors besides geographic distance which have shaped the distribution of genotypes, and we continue to investigate what these factors may be.
In addition to the cultigen, wild Oxalis species were also collected, including a wild, tuber-bearing taxon found in highland provinces of Lima Department. The latter taxon was included in continuing research to determine the progenitors of cultivated oca, but the results using AFLP data did not support these populations as likely progenitors of oca (Emshwiller et al. 2009. Amer. J. Botany 96:1839-1848).
Although ethnobotany is a multidisciplinary field by definition, most ethnobotanical studies are centered primarily in either the social sciences or the natural sciences, and few studies integrate between these domains. Yet when we draw... more
Although ethnobotany is a multidisciplinary field by definition, most ethnobotanical studies are centered primarily in either the social sciences or the natural sciences, and few studies integrate between these domains. Yet when we draw on data and methods from across disciplinary boundaries in studies of the evolution and conservation biology of crop plants, we may uncover information that would have remained hidden if the studies were conducted within a single discipline. Both studies of crop origins and studies of ongoing crop evolution can integrate anthropological survey data with molecular data. Our studies of the Andean tuber crop “oca,” Oxalis tuberosa, have addressed both the crop’s origins (of polyploidy and domestication) and its continuing evolution, and have integrated data from surveys of farmers with molecular, morphological, and DNA ploidy data. Hypotheses derived from survey data were tested with other data sources, leading to new insights that would probably not have been revealed otherwise.
To conserve crop genetic diversity, we need to know what is happening to that diversity through space and time. Because humans are primary dispersal agents for clonally-propagated crops, investigators have used surveys to study “seed flows” of Andean tubers to determine the directions and amounts of “seed tubers” exchanged and transported among farmers. We are now investigating the effects of those exchange networks on the geographic distributions of oca’s clonal genotypes as identified by AFLP and morphological data. New results of spatial-statistical analyses will be presented at the symposium.
To conserve crop genetic diversity, we need to know what is happening to that diversity through space and time. Because humans are primary dispersal agents for clonally-propagated crops, investigators have used surveys to study “seed flows” of Andean tubers to determine the directions and amounts of “seed tubers” exchanged and transported among farmers. We are now investigating the effects of those exchange networks on the geographic distributions of oca’s clonal genotypes as identified by AFLP and morphological data. New results of spatial-statistical analyses will be presented at the symposium.