Conclusions.
Northern Wild Rice is a species with ecological, cultural, and economic
importance to the Great Lakes region of North America. Results suggest
that wild NWR populations are genetically distinct from each other, and
their population structure is influenced by their geographic
distribution and possibly, human intervention, such as reseeding
efforts. Based on the preliminary temporal data found in this study, we
believe it would be beneficial to monitor for shifts in the genetic
diversity of NWR populations across both temporal and geographical
scales. We also found that wild and cultivated NWR are genetically
distinct and that gene flow between the two groups is limited. With the
exception of the spatially isolated ‘K2’ breeding population, cNWR
germplasm has little population structure and, relative to other
commercial crops, appears to be only semi-domesticated. Nevertheless, we
found putative selection signals that may be associated with traits that
are unique to cultivated NWR including drought tolerance and the
bottlebrush panicle type. As the plant breeding process continues, loci
with heavy domestication signatures can be used to monitor gene flow
between wild and cultivated populations of NWR to expand upon the
current conservation and stewardship practices for wild populations.