Publications by authors named "Catherine Kiwuka"
Coffea arabica, an allotetraploid hybrid of Coffea eugenioides and Coffea canephora, is the source of approximately 60% of coffee products worldwide, and its cultivated accessions have undergone several population bottlenecks. We present chromosome-level assemblies of a di-haploid C. arabica accession and modern representatives of its diploid progenitors, C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUganda is a major global coffee exporter and home to key indigenous (wild) coffee resources. A comprehensive survey of Uganda's wild coffee species was undertaken more than 80 years ago (in 1938) and thus a contemporary evaluation is required, which is provided here. We enumerate four indigenous coffee species for Uganda: , , (var.
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- - Uganda holds unexplored genetic material that may be drought-resistant, potentially aiding the development of climate-resilient plant varieties.
- - A study analyzed 148 genotypes (wild, feral, and cultivated) under different water conditions, measuring factors like leaf area and biomass allocation, using advanced statistical models.
- - Results show that restricted water supply decreased growth parameters across different genetic groups and locations, indicating a trade-off in growth tolerance; some drought tolerance traits were linked to local climate conditions.
The assessment of population vulnerability under climate change is crucial for planning conservation as well as for ensuring food security. Coffea canephora is, in its native habitat, an understorey tree that is mainly distributed in the lowland rainforests of tropical Africa. Also known as Robusta, its commercial value constitutes a significant revenue for many human populations in tropical countries.
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- Understanding how plant populations, specifically Coffea canephora in Uganda, are vulnerable to climate change can help in conserving biodiversity and identifying strong breeding candidates.
- A genomic study was conducted on 207 coffee trees, identifying 71 genetic markers (SNPs) that are likely adaptive to climate changes, linked to important traits like stress resilience and pest resistance.
- Genetic differences reveal varying levels of adaptability among populations, with some regions showing more potential maladaptation, which can inform conservation strategies for preserving these coffee populations amid climate shifts.*
Wild genetic resources and their ability to adapt to environmental change are critically important in light of the projected climate change, while constituting the foundation of agricultural sustainability. To address the expected negative effects of climate change on Robusta coffee trees (Coffea canephora), collecting missions were conducted to explore its current native distribution in Uganda over a broad climatic range. Wild material from seven forests could thus be collected.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDevelopment and evaluation of a genome-wide Coffee 8.5K SNP array and its application for high-density genetic mapping and for investigating the origin of Coffea arabica L.
Plant Biotechnol J
July 2019
Coffee species such as Coffea canephora P. (Robusta) and C. arabica L.
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