Population Structure and Genetic Diversity of Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) in East-Timor

Our study focuses on the assessment of the genetic diversity of cashew populations cultivated in East-Timor using highly informative molecular markers as microsatellites, which are effective in evaluating intra-specific genetic diversity along the evaluation of the population structuring. To accomplish such objective, eleven cashew orchards from East-Timor were assessed with 16 cashew-specific microsatellites applied to screen in-country genetic diversity. Besides an Indonesian population were included as an outgroup, to assess any East-Timor genetic signature; along with two populations from Mozambique, so it could work as a continental outgroup to detect any gene flow between continental-to-island gene flow.Our work is pioneer as no studies have been conducted in East-Timor using a highly comprehensive sampling scheme (over 11 populations) in an emerging cash crop, as cashew. This is particularly important as East-Timor aims to invest in the cashew nut exports by contending directly with competitive countries, as India and Vietnam in the surrounding region. In fact, evaluation and assessing genetic diversity will allow to detect the presence of any East-Timor genetic signature that will acknowledge the valorization of cashew nuts from the country, and prospect agrobiodiversity hotspots in the country, for future cashew germplasm programs.This data involves the genotype matrix generated under this work and used for performing genetic diversity and population structure analyses.<br>

本研究聚焦于利用高信息含量的分子标记——微卫星（microsatellites），评估东帝汶栽培腰果（cashew）种群的遗传多样性，该类标记可有效用于种内遗传多样性评估及种群结构解析。为达成该研究目标，研究团队采用16对腰果特异性微卫星标记，对东帝汶境内的11个腰果果园开展境内遗传多样性筛查。此外，研究纳入印尼种群作为外类群（outgroup），以识别东帝汶种群的遗传特征；同时纳入莫桑比克的2个种群作为大陆外类群，用于检测大陆与岛屿间的基因交流情况。
本研究具有开创性意义：此前尚无针对东帝汶这一新兴经济作物开展的、覆盖超11个种群的全面抽样研究。
鉴于东帝汶计划直接与周边印度、越南等竞争国家争夺腰果出口市场，此项研究尤为关键。
实际上，遗传多样性评估可帮助识别东帝汶特有遗传特征，为该国腰果的价值提升提供依据，并可探明本国农业生物多样性热点区域，为后续腰果种质资源相关项目提供支撑。
本数据集包含本研究中生成的基因型矩阵，用于开展遗传多样性与种群结构分析。