Genetic diversity analysis of Moroccan lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) landracesusing Simple Sequence Repeat and Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphismsreveals functional adaptation towards agro-environmental origins

In the absence of previous molecular characterization, we assessed
genetic diversity of 53 Moroccan lentil landraces including two local cultivars
using simple sequence repeat (SSR) and amplified fragment length
polymorphisms (AFLP). Nineteen SSRs yielded 213 alleles, and seven
AFLP primer combinations gave 766 fragments of which 422 were polymorphic.
Moderate to high genetic variation was observed. Several small
groups of landraces were differentiated. Interestingly, one of the smallest
groups contained short-cycle landraces with high early vegetative growth.
Landraces in that group were from the dry land location of Abda, where
they were likely selected for adaptation to drought and heat stress over
centuries. Another group contained two landraces from highland areas
that may have been selected for specific adaptation to cold stress. A third
group contained one landrace from the Zear region known for its seed
quality and has been proposed for the protected designation of origin
(PDO) quality mark. Both techniques gave evidence of differentiation of
the latter landrace supporting the idea of PDO attribution. Functional
grouping according to agro-environmental origins, cycle duration and
early vegetative vigour was observed.