MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF AZOLLA ACCESSIONS IN KENYA

Background. Azolla Lam., a mosquito fern, is invasive in major rice growing Schemes in Kenya, where it clogs irrigation canals and forms dense mats in paddy fields.  However, the species of Azolla has not been established.  Objective.  to characterize Azolla accessions collected from six major rice...

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Main Authors: Wilson Agembo Oyange, James Ireri Kanya, George Ndiema Chemining'wa, Paul Nthakanio Njiruh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán 2020-06-01
Series:Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.revista.ccba.uady.mx/ojs/index.php/TSA/article/view/3195
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author Wilson Agembo Oyange
James Ireri Kanya
George Ndiema Chemining'wa
Paul Nthakanio Njiruh
author_facet Wilson Agembo Oyange
James Ireri Kanya
George Ndiema Chemining'wa
Paul Nthakanio Njiruh
author_sort Wilson Agembo Oyange
collection DOAJ
description Background. Azolla Lam., a mosquito fern, is invasive in major rice growing Schemes in Kenya, where it clogs irrigation canals and forms dense mats in paddy fields.  However, the species of Azolla has not been established.  Objective.  to characterize Azolla accessions collected from six major rice Irrigation Schemes in Kenya: Mwea, Ahero, West Kano, Bunyala, Taveta and TARDA. Methodology. Azolla accessions were collected, grown for 10 days at Mwea Irrigation Agricultural Development Centre (MIAD) and their vegetative traits examined microscopically using 13 Pereira’s morphological characters. The vegetative characteristics were evaluated on a binary 0/1 system, pairwise similarity was estimated using Jaccard’s coefficient (S1)and a dendrogram generated. Genomic DNA was extracted from each of the accessions, amplified with SCAR primers and amplified products resolved and scored using agarose gels. Polymorphic SCAR markers were identified and correlated to the accessions. Results. Nine vegetative characters useful for distinguishing between the two Azolla sub-genera (Euazolla and Rhizosperma) and the seven Azolla species were examined. Possession of hook-like, septate glochidia suggested the presence of Azolla filiculoides in TARDA1 accession. The presence of pinnate sporophyte with septate rhizome papillae and fronts measuring 2-4 cm with 2-4 cm long roots and lack of anthocyanin suggested the presence of Azolla nilotica for TARDA 2 and Taveta 2 accessions. SCAR marker based 490 bp primers that identify with A. filiculoides also amplified Mwea and Taveta 1 accessions to give a distinct band. Implications. Results suggest the existence of Azolla nilotica and Azolla filiculoides among the Kenyan accessions. Conclusion. Azolla filiculoides and Azolla nilotica are the two main Azolla species characterized in the major Irrigation Schemes in Kenya. Of the two species, Azolla filiculoides has infested four of the Kenya irrigation schemes (Mwea, Ahero, Bunyala, Tana River and West Kano), while Azolla nilotica exists only in Taveta and TARDA.
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spelling doaj.art-34fb498a44c446fd880932a1a361397d2022-12-21T18:42:16ZengUniversidad Autónoma de YucatánTropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems1870-04622020-06-01232978MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF AZOLLA ACCESSIONS IN KENYAWilson Agembo Oyange0James Ireri Kanya1George Ndiema Chemining'wa2Paul Nthakanio Njiruh3University of NairobiUniversity of NairobiUniversity of NairobiUniversity of EmbuBackground. Azolla Lam., a mosquito fern, is invasive in major rice growing Schemes in Kenya, where it clogs irrigation canals and forms dense mats in paddy fields.  However, the species of Azolla has not been established.  Objective.  to characterize Azolla accessions collected from six major rice Irrigation Schemes in Kenya: Mwea, Ahero, West Kano, Bunyala, Taveta and TARDA. Methodology. Azolla accessions were collected, grown for 10 days at Mwea Irrigation Agricultural Development Centre (MIAD) and their vegetative traits examined microscopically using 13 Pereira’s morphological characters. The vegetative characteristics were evaluated on a binary 0/1 system, pairwise similarity was estimated using Jaccard’s coefficient (S1)and a dendrogram generated. Genomic DNA was extracted from each of the accessions, amplified with SCAR primers and amplified products resolved and scored using agarose gels. Polymorphic SCAR markers were identified and correlated to the accessions. Results. Nine vegetative characters useful for distinguishing between the two Azolla sub-genera (Euazolla and Rhizosperma) and the seven Azolla species were examined. Possession of hook-like, septate glochidia suggested the presence of Azolla filiculoides in TARDA1 accession. The presence of pinnate sporophyte with septate rhizome papillae and fronts measuring 2-4 cm with 2-4 cm long roots and lack of anthocyanin suggested the presence of Azolla nilotica for TARDA 2 and Taveta 2 accessions. SCAR marker based 490 bp primers that identify with A. filiculoides also amplified Mwea and Taveta 1 accessions to give a distinct band. Implications. Results suggest the existence of Azolla nilotica and Azolla filiculoides among the Kenyan accessions. Conclusion. Azolla filiculoides and Azolla nilotica are the two main Azolla species characterized in the major Irrigation Schemes in Kenya. Of the two species, Azolla filiculoides has infested four of the Kenya irrigation schemes (Mwea, Ahero, Bunyala, Tana River and West Kano), while Azolla nilotica exists only in Taveta and TARDA.https://www.revista.ccba.uady.mx/ojs/index.php/TSA/article/view/3195azollaaccessioncharacterizationmorphologyspecies
spellingShingle Wilson Agembo Oyange
James Ireri Kanya
George Ndiema Chemining'wa
Paul Nthakanio Njiruh
MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF AZOLLA ACCESSIONS IN KENYA
Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems
azolla
accession
characterization
morphology
species
title MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF AZOLLA ACCESSIONS IN KENYA
title_full MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF AZOLLA ACCESSIONS IN KENYA
title_fullStr MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF AZOLLA ACCESSIONS IN KENYA
title_full_unstemmed MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF AZOLLA ACCESSIONS IN KENYA
title_short MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF AZOLLA ACCESSIONS IN KENYA
title_sort morphological and molecular characterization of azolla accessions in kenya
topic azolla
accession
characterization
morphology
species
url https://www.revista.ccba.uady.mx/ojs/index.php/TSA/article/view/3195
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AT georgendiemacheminingwa morphologicalandmolecularcharacterizationofazollaaccessionsinkenya
AT paulnthakanionjiruh morphologicalandmolecularcharacterizationofazollaaccessionsinkenya