Detection of Genetic Variation in Malus communis Mother Fields and Within Their Seedlings Using SSR Technique

Ola Al-Halabi*(1) and Bayan Muzher(1)

(1). Pome and Grapevine Division in Sweida, General Commission for Scientific Agriculture            Research (GCSAR), Damascus, Syeia.

(*Corresponding author: Dr. Ola Al-Halabi. E-Mail: Ola_halabi@msn.com).

Received: 21/04/2017                     Accepted: 05/07/2017

Abstract

This investigation was conducted at Pome and grapevine Division in Sweida, General Commission for Scientific Agriculture Research (GCSAR), and at Ira Agricultural Nursery, during 2011 and 2012 seasons, to detect the genetic variation among five apple seedling genotypes in Mafaala Malus communis fields, and within the seedlings produced from them, using 10 SSR primer pairs. The results showed the ability of 8 primer pairs to detect genetic variation among studied plants with polymorphism 100%. Genetic similarity was low among studied genotypes, the highest genetic similarity was 0.2 between B and E genotypes, while within each genotypes it was good among plants belong to A, B and C genotypes, while it was low in the genotypes D and E plants. Cluster analysis divided the studied plants into five groups, each group included one genotype plants with the mother. These results reflected the genetic distance among studied genotypes, thus it is necessary not to mix seeds for producing apple seedling rootstocks, and find one credible source for seeds. On the other hand, SSR technique is an important tool for genetic variation detection and germplasms purification.

Key words: Apple, Seedling rootstocks, Genetic variation, SSR.

Full paper in ArabicPDF