Relationships of Aegilops tauschii revealed by DNA fingerprints: the evidence for agriculture exchange between China and the West

Genetic diversity and relationships of wild goat grass (Aegilops tauschii Cosson) from Iran and Xinjiang, west China, as well as its weedy type from the Yellow River region of Shaanxi and Henan provinces in China were analyzed by simple sequence repeat (SSR) fingerprints. A high level of genetic diversity in Aegilops tauschii accessions from Iran was observed, and the richness of genetic diversity was followed by accessions from Shaanxi, Henan, and Xinjiang. The weedy type of Aegilops tauschii showed a close genetic relationship with the wild type from different regions in Iran. The results indicated that the weedy Aegilops tauschii found in the Yellow River region was most likely introduced from Iran—the diversity center of Aegilops tauschii. The weedy Aegilops tauschii populations found in the Yellow River region may be brought into the central part of China as a weed species together with common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) from the West during various periods of time in history. This finding has provided strong evidence for the introduction of common wheat from the West into China via the Silk Road, and also demonstrated the important role of the Silk Road in the exchange of agriculture and other relevant technologies between China and the West.