Articles
Morphological and genetic evaluation of local germplasm: the case study of Sicilian apples
Article number
1384_16
Pages
121 – 128
Language
English
Abstract
Different studies offer a broad overview of issues concerning plant genetic resource conservation and use, including conservation approaches, strategies, and responses that are more relevant under the threat of climate change.
Great progress has been made in the past decades in the conservation and storage of crop germplasm in genebanks, and in molecular tools development.
In Italy, the genetic base of cultivated fruit trees has significantly narrowed in the last few years.
The Sicilian territory represents a wide genetic resource, many of which are at risk of extinction.
Sicilian municipalities (public bodies) are suitable places to coordinate important actions of conservation and exploitation of agrobiodiversity due to their deep knowledge of the territory.
In this study, we report the assessment of the morphological and genetic diversity of four local cultivars of apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) sampled in the Sicilian territory: Rossa Piccola, Sgadari, Gelato and Cannamele. Morphological characterizations were carried out using 33 UPVO descriptors, while five microsatellites molecular markers were used to assess the genetic diversity of samples.
Cluster analysis, based on Euclidean distances, was performed for morphological traits.
The hierarchical clustering based on Bruvos distance using the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) algorithm was used for genetic analysis.
High diversity was found either among the four Sicilian accessions.
The results of Euclidean clustering differed from genetic clustering.
The Euclidean-based dendrogram shows a separation of the cultivar Rossa Piccola from the other three cultivars, while the cluster analysis of the genetic data based on Bruvos coefficient returns the local cultivars grouped in two clusters.
The high level of diversity present in Sicilian local apple cultivars represents a promising starting point for increasing the germplasm in this field collection, in view of the growing interest in plant genebanks for their potential value as traits for adapting agriculture to climate change.
Great progress has been made in the past decades in the conservation and storage of crop germplasm in genebanks, and in molecular tools development.
In Italy, the genetic base of cultivated fruit trees has significantly narrowed in the last few years.
The Sicilian territory represents a wide genetic resource, many of which are at risk of extinction.
Sicilian municipalities (public bodies) are suitable places to coordinate important actions of conservation and exploitation of agrobiodiversity due to their deep knowledge of the territory.
In this study, we report the assessment of the morphological and genetic diversity of four local cultivars of apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) sampled in the Sicilian territory: Rossa Piccola, Sgadari, Gelato and Cannamele. Morphological characterizations were carried out using 33 UPVO descriptors, while five microsatellites molecular markers were used to assess the genetic diversity of samples.
Cluster analysis, based on Euclidean distances, was performed for morphological traits.
The hierarchical clustering based on Bruvos distance using the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) algorithm was used for genetic analysis.
High diversity was found either among the four Sicilian accessions.
The results of Euclidean clustering differed from genetic clustering.
The Euclidean-based dendrogram shows a separation of the cultivar Rossa Piccola from the other three cultivars, while the cluster analysis of the genetic data based on Bruvos coefficient returns the local cultivars grouped in two clusters.
The high level of diversity present in Sicilian local apple cultivars represents a promising starting point for increasing the germplasm in this field collection, in view of the growing interest in plant genebanks for their potential value as traits for adapting agriculture to climate change.
Authors
M.C. Fiore, G. Gugliuzza
Keywords
Malus domestica Borkh., microsatellites, molecular markers
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