A core subset with a small number of accessions representing the genetic diversity of the base collection plays a vital role in facilitating efficient utilization of plant genetic resources. This is particularly relevant for vegetatively propagated large plant size tuber crops with a long growing period, such as white Guinea yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir.). For the efficient utilization of D. rotundata genetic resources, this study was aimed at developing a mini‐core collection from a core collection of 447 D. rotundata accessions maintained at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). Accordingly, a D. rotundata mini‐core collection representing 102 accessions was selected using 16 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, retaining ∼98% of the SSR allelic diversity of the base collection. A similar level of diversity was captured within the mini‐core collection and the base collection with respect to 21 morphological traits, ploidy level, and geographic origin. The mini‐core collection demonstrated a wide range of variation in agronomic traits such as growth period, number of tubers, average tuber weight, and total yield per plant. This variation was considerable when compared with the variation observed for the same traits among the 10 lines or genotypes conventionally used in the breeding program at IITA, which were included in this study as checks. The selected mini‐core accessions could serve as a working collection to broaden the genetic variation for use in practical breeding programs, as well as in future genomic analyses aimed at the genetic improvement of D. rotundata in West Africa.

中文翻译：

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简单的基于重复序列的微型几内亚山药（Dioscorea rotundata）种质迷你核心收集

具有少量种质的核心子集代表了碱基集合的遗传多样性，在促进植物遗传资源的有效利用方面起着至关重要的作用。对于长时期的无性繁殖大植物块茎作物，例如白色几内亚山药（Dioscorea rotundata Poir。），这尤其重要。为了有效利用罗汉果D. rotundata遗传资源，本研究旨在从国际热带农业研究所（IITA）保管的447种罗汉果D. rotundata种质的核心收藏中发展一个微型核心收藏。因此，D。rotundata使用16个简单序列重复（SSR）标记选择了代表102个种质的微型核心集合，保留了基本集合中约98％的SSR等位基因多样性。在微型核心集合和基础集合中，针对21个形态特征，倍性水平和地理起源，也捕获了相似的多样性。小型核心种质表现出广泛的农艺性状变异，例如生长期，块茎数量，平均块茎重量和单株总产量。与IITA育种计划中常规使用的10个品系或基因型中相同性状的观察到的差异相比，这种差异是相当大的，这些变异也包括在本研究中作为检验。西非的D. rotundata。