Articles
Cactus pear germplasm conservation and characterization in Canary Islands
Article number
1452_28
Pages
215 – 220
Language
English
Abstract
In the Canary Islands we conserve and characterize a modest cactus pear germplasm collection that contains accessions introduced from abroad areas and others that were locally selected in different microclimates of the islands.
The collection contains 25 accessions, with two replicas per accession on each of the islands.
It is mainly focused on Opuntia material of agronomic interest for commercial cultivation purposes in the Canary Islands.
That is why an initial agronomic characterization, using the UPOV descriptors developed for this species, has been conducted.
The data presented in this communication include the characterization of the phenological development and of some plant and fruit characteristics of interest.
The traits evaluated included plant growth habit and height, along with fruit characteristics, such as the number of spines per areole, weight, shape, and the flesh-to-peel weight ratio of the fruit, among others.
Additionally, we have initiated a more extensive morphological and molecular characterization of the cactus pear germplasm collection.
The morphological characterization includes other morphological descriptors that have not been previously evaluated and nine specific microsatellites developed for Opuntia. These microsatellites were chosen for their polymorphism with the tested germplasm.
We believe that the molecular markers could serve as an important tool for gaining a deeper understanding of the local cactus pear selections and will allow us to further analyse the germplasm identified in the Islands.
It is crucial to note that, with the entry of the Mexican mealybug, in some of the Canary Islands, it is vital to preserve the locally selected cactus pear germplasm; otherwise, it could irreparably disappear.
The conservation efforts aim to safeguard these local selections, ensuring their preservation for future cultivation and research.
The collection contains 25 accessions, with two replicas per accession on each of the islands.
It is mainly focused on Opuntia material of agronomic interest for commercial cultivation purposes in the Canary Islands.
That is why an initial agronomic characterization, using the UPOV descriptors developed for this species, has been conducted.
The data presented in this communication include the characterization of the phenological development and of some plant and fruit characteristics of interest.
The traits evaluated included plant growth habit and height, along with fruit characteristics, such as the number of spines per areole, weight, shape, and the flesh-to-peel weight ratio of the fruit, among others.
Additionally, we have initiated a more extensive morphological and molecular characterization of the cactus pear germplasm collection.
The morphological characterization includes other morphological descriptors that have not been previously evaluated and nine specific microsatellites developed for Opuntia. These microsatellites were chosen for their polymorphism with the tested germplasm.
We believe that the molecular markers could serve as an important tool for gaining a deeper understanding of the local cactus pear selections and will allow us to further analyse the germplasm identified in the Islands.
It is crucial to note that, with the entry of the Mexican mealybug, in some of the Canary Islands, it is vital to preserve the locally selected cactus pear germplasm; otherwise, it could irreparably disappear.
The conservation efforts aim to safeguard these local selections, ensuring their preservation for future cultivation and research.
Authors
M.J. Grajal-Martín, A. Peña Dorta, M.Y. González Padrón, S. García Medina, J. Cabrera Cabrera, J. Monagas Rodríguez
Keywords
Opuntia ficus-indica, cultivar, marker, descriptor, prickly pear fig
Groups involved
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