Vol.13. Nos.1 - 2 (2014) pp.29-43
Title:

DNA barcoding: An emerging tool for precise identification and certification of planting stock in taxonomically challenging bamboo species

Authors:K. Sijimol, Suma Arun Dev, E. M. Muralidharan and V. B. Sreekumar

Abstract:Bamboos are a group of woody arborescent grasses that provides for the livelihood of a large number of people living in rural areas in many parts of the world. Owing to the increased demand for bamboos for traditional as well as new commercial uses, there is an urgent need for undertaking plantation of the commercially important bamboo species. To ensure higher productivity it is also important that the plantations be established using superior quality planting materials. From the taxonomic standpoint, bamboos are a challenging group of plants. Species identification in bamboos is mainly based on morphological characters and the unpredictable flowering behavior coupled with environmental plasticity leads to taxonomic complexities. This is particularly confounding when the plants are in the juvenile stage as in the bamboo nurseries. This poses certain hurdles in the certification of superior planting materials owing to the lack of distinguishable morphological characters. Mixing up of species with similar morphological features is rather common in bamboo nurseries and mistakes are realized only when the plants attain maturity after few years. Hence a well defined molecular tool like DNA barcoding is envisaged to tackle these taxonomic complexities in species identification as well as for the certification of planting materials. This article brings out the significance of DNA barcoding in species identification and to resolve taxonomic complexities pertaining to bamboo. The ongoing research in the use of DNA markers in taxonomy and biosystematics of bamboo and the challenges faced is also reviewed.

Keywords:Bamboo, taxonomy, species identification, certification, DNA barcoding

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