ALLOZYME VARIATION IN SPINELESS PEJIBAYE (BACTRIS GASIPAES PALMAE)

Allozyme variation was examined in three pejibaye (Bactris gasipaes) p opulations introduced into Hawaii for use in heart-of-palm improvement : Benjamin Constant (Putumayo landrace, San Carlos (Guatuso landrace) and Yurimaguas (Pampa Hermosa landrace). Nine enzymes encoded by 16 pu tative loci with a total of 38 alleles were resolved from meristem ext ract. Five loci were fixed in all populations, four additional loci we re Su;ed in SC and one additional locus iii BC Sh of the 38 alleles we re rare, with three unique to BC and one to Y; two moderately high fre quency alleles were unique to SC. Mean number of alleles per locus was lowest (1.6) in SC, with BC and Y having 2.1 alleles. Percentage of p olymorphic loci was lowest in SC (44) and highest in Y (69). Observed heterozygosity was lowest in SC (0.051) and BC (0.066) and highest in Y (0.141). Nei's genetic identity was 0.985 between BC and Y and avera ged 0.952 between SC and BC-Y. The low heterozygosities are probably d ue to a long history of selection and inbreeding (sib-mating) during t he domestication process, followed by intensive recent selection for s pinelessness and more inbreeding. All populations are very closely rel ated, suggesting a single domestication event in Amazonia.