Genetic diversity and structure, gene flow and mating system of Euterpe precatoria Mart. in natural populations in the Amazon, in the states of Acre, Roraima and Amazonas, by microsatellite markers

Abstract

Açaí-do-Amazonas (Euterpe precatoria) is native of the Brazilian Amazon. It has been widely used for its medicinal properties and principally as a food source and for the industry. This species is found in the western Amazon, in the states of Amazonas, Acre and Rondônia. It is important economically and socially for these producer states, as well for the consumer states, considering that through the extractive collection it produces, on average, 100,000 tons per year, which created a major national and international production chain. However, there is no policy for the conservation of E. precatoria, and there is a lack of studies of the different stages of domestication, and especially those related to the characterization of the genetic variability present in the collection areas of the extractive traditional farmers of açaí-do-Amazonas. Under this need the objective of this work is to develop microsatellite markers for açaí-do-Amazonas, to evaluate the genetic diversity and structure, gene flow and mating system of natural populations in the Amazon, which are used by these small farmers as a collection area. This study will generate information on the genetic structure of populations based on estimates of allele and genotype frequencies, estimating the magnitude and distribution of variability within and between sampling areas, as well as gene flow and mating system existing in the populations, enabling the improvement and efficiency of breeding programs, as well as the definition of collection strategies aiming at this species conservation, both ex situ and in situ (AU)