Eyango Nto Marie Claire, Sounigo Olivier, Fouet Olivier, Tekeu Honoré, Djocgoué François Pierre, Efombagn Mousseni Ives Bruno, Lanaud Claire
Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Plant Pathology Laboratory, Institute of Agricultural Research for Development, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
PLoS One. 2025 Apr 24;20(4):e0322169. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0322169. eCollection 2025.
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is a pivotal agricultural commodity in Cameroon, which ranks as one of the top five global cocoa producers. This study focused on evaluating the genetic diversity and verifying the plant material compliance of cocoa genotypes in the Barombi-Kang Regional variety trial, employing 12 highly polymorphic SSR markers. A comprehensive analysis of 318 hybrid families and 15 parental genotypes was conducted, which revealed extensive genetic variability. The study found an average polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.72 for hybrids and 0.68 for parents, alongside observed heterozygosity rates of 0.54 and 0.42, respectively, indicating a rich genetic reservoir. Significantly, an 18.55% labeling error rate was identified, underscoring prevalent issues in germplasm management that could impact the efficacy of breeding programs. These errors highlight the critical need for enhanced genetic verification protocols to ensure the accuracy and reliability of plant materials used in breeding. The genetic analysis also demonstrated substantial allelic richness with the hybrids showing an average of 72 alleles per locus, suggesting a high capacity for selection within the breeding pool. The data from this study not only reinforce the potential for genetic improvement of cocoa in Cameroon but also provide crucial insights into the genetic structure and population dynamics within the trial. Addressing the genetic and management challenges identified could lead to the development of superior cocoa varieties, enhancing yield, disease resistance, and environmental stress tolerance, thereby contributing to the sustainable advancement of the cocoa industry in Cameroon and beyond.
可可（Theobroma cacao L.）是喀麦隆的一种关键农产品，该国是全球五大可可生产国之一。本研究聚焦于评估喀麦隆巴龙比-康地区品种试验中可可基因型的遗传多样性，并使用12个高度多态性的SSR标记验证植物材料的合规性。对318个杂交家系和15个亲本基因型进行了全面分析，结果显示出广泛的遗传变异性。研究发现，杂交种的平均多态信息含量（PIC）为0.72，亲本为0.68，观察到的杂合率分别为0.54和0.42，表明存在丰富的遗传库。值得注意的是，识别出了18.55%的标记错误率，这突出了种质管理中普遍存在的问题，可能会影响育种计划的效果。这些错误凸显了加强遗传验证方案的迫切需求，以确保育种中使用的植物材料的准确性和可靠性。遗传分析还表明等位基因丰富度高，杂交种平均每个位点有72个等位基因，表明育种库内有很高的选择潜力。本研究的数据不仅强化了喀麦隆可可遗传改良的潜力，还为试验中的遗传结构和种群动态提供了关键见解。解决所识别的遗传和管理挑战可能会培育出更优良的可可品种，提高产量、抗病性和环境胁迫耐受性，从而推动喀麦隆及其他地区可可产业的可持续发展。
