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Investigating sexual and asexual modes of reproduction in Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2024

Hayley L. Brackenridge ,
Nikita Konstantinov Open the ORCID record for Nikita Konstantinov [Opens in a new window] ,
Lisa H. Han Open the ORCID record for Lisa H. Han [Opens in a new window]  and
Sarah B. Yakimowski Open the ORCID record for Sarah B. Yakimowski [Opens in a new window]
Hayley L. Brackenridge
Affiliation:
Undergraduate Researcher, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada Current: Pest Management Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Nikita Konstantinov
Affiliation:
Undergraduate Researcher, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
Lisa H. Han
Affiliation:
Graduate Researcher, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
Sarah B. Yakimowski*
Affiliation:
Assistant Professor, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
*
Corresponding author: Sarah B. Yakimowski; Email: sarah.yakimowski@queensu.ca
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Abstract

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson), a dioecious wind-pollinated plant, is one of the most troublesome crop weeds in the United States and is spreading northward. The prodigious production of seed contributes to establishment of populations and spread across the landscape. Sexual reproduction via outcrossing is likely the primary mode of seed production for this dioecious plant. However, A. palmeri may also be capable of autonomous asexual seed production (apomixis), which could be beneficial during colonization. We conducted two studies of female isolation from pollen to investigate the propensity for autonomous seed production in 19 populations across eastern North America. In the first, we observed low-frequency seed production on many isolated females. Using flow cytometry of seed samples (FCSS) we primarily found patterns of ploidy consistent with sexual reproduction; no significant differences in ploidy between seeds produced on isolated females (putative apomicts) and non-isolated females (putatively sexual) were detected. We also investigated patterns of DNA content and found no evidence in 153 samples for polyploidy, which is often observed in apomictic species. The second female isolation trial utilized sex-specific molecular markers to identify and remove males before flowering, and we observed zero seed production. Overall, we did not detect evidence in support of apomixis in these populations of A. palmeri, suggesting that apomixis is unlikely to have played a role in the northward advance of this species in eastern North America. We also investigated whether there is variation between females and males in size and secondary reproductive traits. We found evidence for sexual dimorphism in three of six traits investigated: females are taller at senescence and produce longer secondary branches and more axillary flowers than males. Differences in cost of reproduction and strategies for pollen release versus pollen capture are likely factors shaping the evolution of sexual dimorphism in this wind-pollinated dioecious plant.

Keywords

Apomixisflow cytometryisolationsex-specific markerssexual dimorphism
Type
Research Article
Information
Weed Science , First View , pp. 1 - 12
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Weed Science Society of America

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Footnotes

Associate Editor: Mithila Jugulam, Kansas State University

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