Improving germplasm representativeness in the Desmanthus virgatus (L.) Willd. complex using a validated model

The study of native plant genetic resources with forage value has become increasingly important in the last few years, especially in legume species that contribute to the sustainability of agricultural systems. Species of the Desmanthus virgatus (L.) Willd. complex are known for their forage potential. In Argentina, the complex includes several native species that are important for grazing systems. Germplasm collections of species of the complex are available; however, the genetic representativeness of the conserved material is unknown. In this work, we evaluated the ecogeographic representativeness of germplasm collections of species of the D. virgatus complex native to Argentina by developing an Ecogeographic Land Characterization map (ELC), which was validated with genetic and morphological data. There was consensus between the ecogeographic categories of the ELC map and the molecular and morphological data. The germplasm collections of species of the D. virgatus complex native to Argentina show a good ecogeographic representativeness; however, some ecogeographic categories still need to be represented, which should be targeted in further collection missions.