Exploring the extents of genetic diversity and population structure of enset [Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) cheesman] from southern Ethiopia using simple sequence repeat markers: Implications for crop improvement and conservation

Enset (Ensete ventricosum) is a multi-use perennial herbaceous crop used as a staple food for over 20 million people in Ethiopia. Despite its high use values, very few studies have been conducted to improve this crop, particularly using molecular marker systems. In this context, the study aimed at evaluating the magnitude of genetic diversity and population structure of enset germplasm collections from four major enset growing zones in southern Ethiopia using 12 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. A total of 147 individual leaf samples were collected from the entire enset populations and gave 289 alleles, ranging from 12 to 41 alleles per locus, with a mean of 24.5. The polymorphism information content for each locus varied from 0.86 to 0.95, with a mean of 0.91. The number of effective alleles ranged from 5.13 to 11.79 with a mean of 8.27. The expected and observed heterozygosity showed average values of 0.85 and 0.84, respectively. The greatest genetic distance (1.16) was between Gurage and wild populations, while the shortest (0.37) was between Gurage and Silte. Among the six populations, the wild had the highest percentage of polymorphic loci (100%). AMOVA attributed 89% of the genetic variation to intra-population and only 11% to among populations. The whole set of germplasm indicates low genetic differentiation and high gene flow (Nm). The UPGMA and principal coordinates largely correspond to each other and indicate three major groups. Overall, the information gained from this study would be useful for enset improvements and conservation strategies.