Genetic diversity, population structure and selection signatures in Enset (Ensete ventricosum, (Welw.) Cheesman), an underutilized and key food security crop in Ethiopia

Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) is a multipurpose, drought-tolerant and a key food security crop, which is the staple food for peoples in the south and southwestern parts of Ethiopia. In this study, we characterized genetic diversity, population structure and selection signatures in 226 cultivated and 10 wild enset accessions collected from diverse enset growing regions of Ethiopia using 3505 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers obtained from double-digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequences. The population structure and cluster analyses clearly distinguished between cultivated and wild enset. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed higher levels of genetic diversity within populations and regions (91.2 and 92.4