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Genetic Diversity Unveiled: Cost-Effective Methods for Grassland Species
Damian Käch1,2, Miguel Loera-Sánchez1,3, Beat Reidy2
1Molecular Plant Breeding, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Molecular Ecology Resources
|February 18, 2026
Summary
Monitoring plant genetic diversity (PGD) in grasslands is crucial but challenging. This study successfully used multispecies amplicon sequencing (MSAS) and genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) to assess PGD in key grassland species, offering complementary monitoring solutions.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Genetics
- Agriculture
Background:
- Permanent grasslands harbor significant plant genetic diversity (PGD), crucial for resilience and breeding.
- Effective PGD monitoring is vital for managing genetic resources but faces challenges in sampling and standardized indicators.
- Current biodiversity assessments often overlook PGD due to these monitoring difficulties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of multispecies amplicon sequencing (MSAS) and genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) for assessing PGD in grassland species.
- To compare the capabilities of MSAS and GBS in differentiating species and detecting genetic variation within populations.
- To determine the suitability of MSAS and GBS for large-scale PGD monitoring and cultivar composition analysis.
Main Methods:
- Applied multispecies amplicon sequencing (MSAS) to identify and differentiate five common grassland species (Dactylis glomerata, Festuca pratensis, Lolium perenne, Trifolium pratense, T. repens).
- Utilized genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) to assess genetic variation and cultivar mixtures.
- Quantified genetic differentiation using fixation index (FST) values and analyzed cultivar mixtures at varying ratios (50:50, 75:25).
Main Results:
- MSAS successfully distinguished between the five target species and differentiated accessions within species, with FST values indicating varying genetic differentiation.
- Both MSAS and GBS could differentiate mixtures of Lolium perenne cultivars at a 50:50 ratio from pure cultivars.
- GBS further resolved mixtures at a 75:25 ratio, demonstrating its higher sensitivity for detecting subtle shifts in cultivar composition.
Conclusions:
- MSAS and GBS are effective and complementary tools for monitoring plant genetic diversity in grasslands.
- MSAS is a cost-effective option for large-scale PGD monitoring.
- GBS offers higher resolution for detecting shifts in cultivar composition, valuable for targeted studies.
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