Format: ORAL

Carlos Lara-Romero1, Sandra Sacristn-Bajo1, Mara L. Rubio Teso1, Elena Torres2, Alfredo Garca-Fernndez1, Jos M. Iriondo1

1 Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), Móstoles (Madrid), Spain. 2 Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Spain.

In response to global warming, early flowering in temperate plants may provide adaptive advantages. This research delves into the utilization of artificial selection (AS) and assisted gene flow (AGF) to increase the adaptive potential of Lupinus angustifolius L. populations, particularly in flowering onset. Common garden experiments and genomic studies on diverse populations unveiled marked genomic distinctions between northern and southern counterparts. AS was effective in advancing flowering in northern populations but not in southern ones, suggesting prior natural selection for this trait. Importantly, the advancement of flowering brought about consequential alterations in various vegetative and reproductive traits. Several divergent SNPs between control and AS lines within each population were identified. This number was higher in northern populations compared to their southern counterparts. Southern populations, with limited genomic diversity and diminished responsiveness to selection, may have a reduced capacity for evolution and adaptation to climate change. However, their genotypes favor early flowering, proving advantageous in AGF initiatives in northern populations. To validate this hypothesis, AGF was performed by using pollen from southern individuals to pollinate northern plants. This resulted in a marked advance of flowering onset, accompanied by heavier seed production and reduced above-ground growth, highlighting the influence of AGF extending beyond the flowering phase, as observed for AS. Genomic analysis identified 36 highly divergent SNPs between the control and AGF lines, a validation reinforced by genotype-phenotype associations with flowering onset, seed weight, and above-ground growth. This dual validation robustly reinforces the impact of AGF on these traits on both genetic and phenotypic levels. Overall, our findings underscore the pivotal role of genomics in comprehending genetic modifications induced by AS and AGF, providing detailed information on underlying molecular changes that may be essential for climate change adaptation through early flowering.