Premise of the study: To investigate the genetic diversity of a root crop, Xanthosoma sagittifolium, and to facilitate germplasm conservation, microsatellite loci were developed and characterized by genotyping 39 accessions from different geographic origins. •
Methods and results: Using a microsatellite-enriched library approach, 17 polymorphic microsatellite markers were identified and characterized. The number of alleles for each locus ranged from two to six. Observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.00 to 0.97 and from 0.09 to 0.78, respectively. Additionally, cross-amplification of these microsatellite markers was tested successfully in other species of Xanthosoma and Caladium, with rates varying from 23.5% to 100%. •
Conclusions: These results indicate the effectiveness of microsatellite loci developed for the characterization of X. sagittifolium genetic diversity. They are crucial for the future investigation of population dynamics and clonal identification and, therefore, for prioritizing germplasm conservation. They should also enable research on other related species.
Keywords: Caladium lindenii; Xanthosoma sagittifolium; genetic conservation; microsatellite markers; polymorphism; tuber crop.