Diversity assessment of wild cherry germplasm by using RAPD markers

Marina Antić, Mirela Kajkut Zeljković and Gordana Đurić

Abstract: The value of wild relatives of cultivated plants for food safety is widely recognized, but there is still a lack of knowledge about the diversity that exists and how this diversity can be used to improve cultivated plants. The genetic integrity of the wild fruit species is threatened by habitat loss due to increased fragmentation and degradation of the forest and the hybridization with the cultivated varieties. Prunus avium L. have been listed on a EUFORGEN priority lists for development of conservation strategies. Investigations of the genetic diversity and structure of local populations are required to determine the most suitable conservation policies for this species at different scales. In this study the RAPD markers were used in order to evaluate genetic similarity between 31 wild cherry trees from 13different test polygons. The test polygons are placed in Forest park Starčevica close to Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Primers OPA-04, OPA-07, OPA-14, OPA-15, OPA-17, and OPG-10 are used to analyse wild cherry trees. High degree of polymorphism is determined between analysed wild cherry trees which imply that in Forest Park Starčevica are present different genotypes of wild cherry.

Keywords: genetic similarity; Prunus avium L.; RAPD markers

Date published: 2020-04-30