Genetic diversity and variations among Oklahoma and Texas sedge germplasm

Abstract

Sedges (Carex spp.) are herbaceous perennials with more than 2100 species recognized, offering significant potential for use in mowed turf, landscape gardens, and ecosystem restoration. Breeding and development of improved cultivars within various species could have a broad impact across these industries. The lack of information on genetic diversity and genetic variation within most relevant species has limited cultivar development. The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic diversity, population structure, and genetic variability of morphological and reproductive traits of 35 Carex plants collected from Oklahoma and Texas. A total of 20,689 single nucleotide polymorphic markers were used for genetic diversity characterization. Three subpopulations were identified from the germplasm panel that were largely determined by the species and partially by geographic locations. Substantial genetic diversity was observed within and among species. In addition, substantial genetic variation was found for morphological and reproductive traits and the reliability for those traits was moderate to high (𝑖² = 0.38–0.83). The findings of this study provide insights into the genetic diversity of Carex germplasm from Oklahoma and Texas, offering essential knowledge for future Carex breeding efforts. Additionally, the study highlights the need for future research to understand the genetic mechanisms underlying reproductive traits and to develop reliable molecular tools for species differentiation.