Articles
Exploration of new sources of sweet cherry genetic diversity prospected in Azerbaijan, Caucasus, supposed center of origin of Prunus avium L.
Article number
1412_1
Pages
1 – 8
Language
English
Abstract
Sweet cherry breeding is an active field of research with an increasing number of private and public actors involved.
Nevertheless, the genetic basis of the majority of parental materials used is rather narrow.
In order to face new challenges related to climate change and societal concerns about pesticide use, breeders need new sources of trait variability and hence, of genetic diversity.
In this study, we aimed at the phenotypic and molecular characterization of sweet cherry materials collected during the month of June 2014 in Azerbaijan, within the Caucasus area.
Fruit from 35 different sources of P. avium were collected and several thousands of stones were distributed among breeders from France, Germany and Spain.
These sources were sampled from four different representative areas of cherry growing, and included fruit collected from local markets or directly from trees chosen in collections of genetic resources, growers’ orchards or from the wild (mazzards). The germination of stones at INRAE-Bordeaux gave rise to more than 800 plantlets which were planted in the field in 2016. A subset of 190 individuals from 11 sources, which can be considered as families of half-sibs, was analyzed with 18 SSR markers.
Preliminary results showed that all SSR loci were polymorphic, a total of 171 alleles were detected and 60 rare alleles were identified.
Interesting levels of diversity were found too, with a mean of 10.89 alleles per locus, a mean PIC value of 0.623, a mean observed heterozygosity Ho=0.563, and an expected heterozygosity He=0.662. Among families, family 2 from Mt Lerik and family 40 from Agdash showed the highest number of rare alleles.
The analysis is on-going with a larger sample of individuals that will be compared to a subset of well-known sweet cherry cultivars.
Phenotypic evaluation of trees was initiated as well in 2022.
Nevertheless, the genetic basis of the majority of parental materials used is rather narrow.
In order to face new challenges related to climate change and societal concerns about pesticide use, breeders need new sources of trait variability and hence, of genetic diversity.
In this study, we aimed at the phenotypic and molecular characterization of sweet cherry materials collected during the month of June 2014 in Azerbaijan, within the Caucasus area.
Fruit from 35 different sources of P. avium were collected and several thousands of stones were distributed among breeders from France, Germany and Spain.
These sources were sampled from four different representative areas of cherry growing, and included fruit collected from local markets or directly from trees chosen in collections of genetic resources, growers’ orchards or from the wild (mazzards). The germination of stones at INRAE-Bordeaux gave rise to more than 800 plantlets which were planted in the field in 2016. A subset of 190 individuals from 11 sources, which can be considered as families of half-sibs, was analyzed with 18 SSR markers.
Preliminary results showed that all SSR loci were polymorphic, a total of 171 alleles were detected and 60 rare alleles were identified.
Interesting levels of diversity were found too, with a mean of 10.89 alleles per locus, a mean PIC value of 0.623, a mean observed heterozygosity Ho=0.563, and an expected heterozygosity He=0.662. Among families, family 2 from Mt Lerik and family 40 from Agdash showed the highest number of rare alleles.
The analysis is on-going with a larger sample of individuals that will be compared to a subset of well-known sweet cherry cultivars.
Phenotypic evaluation of trees was initiated as well in 2022.
Authors
M. Brault, T. Barreneche, M. Abbasov, M. Schuster, G. Lopez-Ortega, J. Quero-Garcia
Keywords
Prunus avium L., sweet cherry, genetic diversity, Azerbaijan, SSR markers, rare alleles
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