Standardization of methods applied to the assessment of genetic diversity of a germplasm bank with sweet potato accessions collected in the Vale do Ribeira

• Grant number: 13/20461-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2014
• End date: January 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Plant Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Patrícia Gleydes Morgante
• Grantee: João dos Anjos Verzutti Fonseca
• Host Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Registro. Registro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to collaborate in the formation of a germplasm bank of sweet potato clones collected in the Vale do Ribeira (São Paulo, Brazil) and standardize methodologies that will be needed to assess the genetic diversity of this collection. Therefore, these clones are being harvested at little farms and at caiçara and quilombolas communities in the Vale do Ribeira. The harvested plants are being multiplied and maintained at the Experimental Farm of the Universidade Estadual Paulista, Campus Experimental de Registro. The accessions deposited in the bank will have their DNA isolated individually to allow their genotyping using microsatellite markers previously described in the literature. Thus, the aim of this project is the standardization of DNA extraction and PCR reactions, as well as, the polyacrylamide gels stained with silver that allow the genotyping process. The present proposal is part of a larger project, which is supported by research grants from FAPESP (process 2012/08763-0) and which involves four professors of the Campus Experimental de Registro (Prof. Dr. Pablo Forlan Vargas, responsible for the FAPESP's research grant, Profa. Dra. Patrícia Gleydes Morgante, Prof. Dr. Luis Carlos Ferreira de Almeida and Profa. Dra. Patrícia Santiago Soares), and an external collaborator (Profa. Dra. Magali Leonel). This group should make morphological, genetics, chemical and agronomic performance characterization of the collection. The union of the results will generate a well characterized germplasm bank that will allow future works in plant breeding.