Abstract Detail

Genetics Section

Datwyler, Shannon L [1], Weiblen, George D [1].

Assessing genetic variation in hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) for mapping economically important traits.

Cannabis is one of the world’s oldest cultivated plants, and is of considerable interest as a licit and illicit crop. Despite recent interest in cultivation of hemp as a fiber crop, production in the US is not possible due to the legal classification of all Cannabis plants as controlled substances. So long as hemp and marijuana cannot be distinguished genetically and morphologically, this situation is unlikely to change. We have surveyed genetic variation in three strains of fiber hemp and one strain of marijuana using AFLP markers. Using ten primer pairs, we have scored 1409 loci, of which 1274 (90.5%) are polymorphic. Pairwise comparisons of drug and fiber strains demonstrate between 33 and 70 fixed differences between strains. Of these, 18 loci represent fixed differences between all fiber strains and drug plants. Furthermore, two loci are found exclusively in male plants, suggesting that these are located on the male sex chromosome. Such differences are the basis for developing a Cannabis linkage map that can be used to map quantitative traits associated with the production of tetrahydrocannabidiol, the psychoactive agent of marijuana, and hemp fiber.

1 - University of Minnesota, Plant Biological Sciences, 1445 Gortner Ave., St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108

Keywords:
AFLP
QTL
diagnostic markers.

Presentation Type: Paper
Session: 41-3
Location: Peruvian (Cliff Lodge)
Date: Wednesday, August 4th, 2004
Time: 8:30 AM
Abstract ID:501