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.