Morphological Plasticity and Genetic Diversity of Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn. across Contrasting Disturbance Regimes Revealed by Chloroplast and Nuclear DNA Markers
Abstract
Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn. is one of the most aggressive and widely distributed weed species in tropical agroecosystems. It exhibits remarkable adaptability to diverse environmental conditions and anthropogenic disturbances. Its persistence across contrasting habitats is attributed to high reproductive capacity, strong competitive ability, and considerable phenotypic plasticity, making it a major challenge for sustainable weed management. Understanding the relationship between morphological variation and genetic diversity is essential for elucidating its adaptive strategies. This study examined the morphological variation and genetic diversity of E. indica across three contrasting habitats with different disturbance intensities using chloroplast and nuclear DNA markers. A total of 45 mature E. indica plants were collected for reproductive and vegetative morphological characterization, while 18 representative samples were selected for genetic diversity analyses. Reproductive traits including spike length, peduncle length, and seed length differed significantly among habitats (p < 0.05), indicating reproductive variation in response to environmental conditions. Genetic diversity analysis using the chloroplast psbA–trnH intergenic spacer revealed limited sequence variation, with only two haplotypes detected among the sampled populations. Similarly, inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) marker analysis showed no significant genetic differentiation among habitats (p ≥ 0.05), with molecular variation occurring predominantly within populations. The combined findings from chloroplast and nuclear DNA markers indicate limited genetic structuring despite significant morphological variation across habitats, providing valuable information into the adaptive strategies of E. indica under contrasting disturbance regimes and supporting the development of effective weed management strategies.
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Supporting Institution
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Agronomy
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Selvarajh Gunavathy
*
0000-0002-6041-6660
Malaysia
Tong Pei Sin
This is me
0000-0000-0000-0000
Malaysia
Publication Date
October 20, 2026
Submission Date
November 24, 2025
Acceptance Date
July 27, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Number: 1
