DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Weedy Brassica rapa in Mexico: a unique study system to investigate potential ongoing "redomestication" of a feral crop

本计画探讨一种重要的食物来源，杂草田芥菜（Brassica rapa L.）的驯化。了解从野生植物到驯化植物的过渡既为作物改良提供了重要的知识，也为研究进化变化提供了独特的机会，因为驯化通常涉及对首选性状的选择。大多数人类依赖于数千年前从野生植物驯化的作物，这使得确定人类和环境在驯化中的双重作用成为一个挑战。今天人们驯化植物的例子可能会提供对这一过程的见解。研究人员将研究七个墨西哥文化群体和杂草田芥菜之间的持续关系，以了解驯化的生态和文化方面。芥菜在欧洲和亚洲被驯化，并选择了许多不同的形式，如萝卜，白菜和大白菜。目前还不清楚哪些驯化或杂草形式被引入墨西哥，以及它们是从哪个地区引入的。该项目整合了来自遗传数据、物理测量、化学和与农民的访谈的信息，以研究正在进行的驯化过程。此外，该项目还将包括对本科生和研究生的培训，并有助于我们了解作物驯化、粮食安全和入侵物种的控制。杂草芜菁为阐明植物的野性和驯化提供了一个强大的研究系统。广泛的基因组工具和植物的生命周期短的可用性，促进使用强大的技术，以澄清当地的适应性和人工选择的入侵领域芥菜在墨西哥全国范围内的样带的性质。该研究涉及RNA测序，相互移植实验，芥子油苷化学，半结构化和结构化访谈的新应用，以研究正在进行的重要食物来源的驯化。数据将量化B的遗传结构和引入历史。在墨西哥的拉帕，当地使用和管理实践的领域芥菜不同的种族群体，以及不同的管理制度如何推动当地人口的适应植物。

This project investigates the domestication of an important food source, weedy field mustard (Brassica rapa L.). Understanding the transition from wild to domesticated plants provides both important knowledge for crop improvement and a unique opportunity to study evolutionary change because domestication often involves selection for preferred traits. Most humans rely on crops that were domesticated from wild plants thousands of years ago, which makes it a challenge to determine the dual roles of humans and environment in domestication. Examples of people domesticating plants today may provide insights into this process. The researchers will study an ongoing relationship between seven Mexican cultural groups and weedy field mustard to get at the ecological and cultural aspects of domestication. Field mustard was domesticated in Europe and Asia and selected for many diverse forms, such as turnips, bok choi, and Chinese cabbage. It is unclear which domesticated or weedy forms were introduced to Mexico and what region they were introduced from. This project integrates information from genetic data, physical measurements, chemistry, and interviews with farmers, to study an ongoing domestication process. In addition, the project will include the training of undergraduate and graduate students, and contribute to our understanding of crop domestication, food security, and control of an invasive species.Weedy Brassica rapa provides a powerful study system to elucidate plant ferality and domestication. The availability of extensive genomic tools and the plant's short life cycle facilitate the use of inferentially powerful techniques to clarify the nature of local adaptation and artificial selection of invasive field mustard across a country-wide transect of Mexico. The research involves the novel application of RNA-sequencing, reciprocal transplant experiments, glucosinolate chemistry, and semi-structured and structure interviews, to study ongoing domestication of an important food source. Data will quantify the genetic structure and introduction history of B. rapa in Mexico, local uses and management practices of field mustard by different ethnic groups, and how different management regimes drive local population adaptation of the plant.