2018 ASHS Annual Conference

Vaccinium floribundum Kunth, known as Andean blueberry or mortiño, is a member of the Ericaceae family and is an endemic shrub of the high Andes in South America. In Ecuador, it is found in tundra-like ecosystems known as páramos, between 1600 and 4200m above sea level. This species produces edible berries with ethnobotanic properties for indigenous and rural communities. The uses reported for this species include food purposes, ceremonial beverages and the treatment of disease. Mortiño berries are considered an exotic fruit with a high potential of consumption due to their content of anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins and polyphenolic compounds, which have shown to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Mortiño is classified as a vulnerable species by the IUCN due to the fragmentation of its habitat. This species has not been domesticated, and its limited propagation capacity has been reported. Probably because of this feature, no attempts to cultivate this plant have been successful. Therefore, biological and ecological studies are needed to implement conservation and cultivation strategies. Furthermore, understanding the interaction of the plant with the bacterial communities of the rhizosphere could contribute to its establishment and subsequent cultivation.

In a previous study, we reported the genetic diversity of mortiño using 14 homologous microsatellites markers (SSRs) in nine localities from the provinces of Imbabura, Pichincha and Cotopaxi. For the present study, we have expanded the study area to 22 localities across 10 provinces of the Ecuadorian highlands, using 16 homologous SSRs markers in 85 individuals. Our results revealed a moderately high global genetic diversity (He = 0.75), with most of the diversity (71%) harbored within localities. The analysis of population structure showed three well-defined clusters in the Ecuadorian highlands, each including samples from different localities, suggesting gene flow between them. One exception occurs in the samples from Azuay, which grouped separately—indicating that this grouping could represent a specific gene pool. These results are the basis for our future research related to the identification of the core microbiota in the most genetically diverse individuals from different localities. Understanding the possible interactions between the plant species and its associated rhizosphere microbiota, along with the data of the genetic diversity of V.floribundum in Ecuador, could allow us to design conservation plans for this valuable genetic resource in the wild and to design programs for the development of sustainable agronomic systems.