Agromorphological Characterization of Traditional Spanish Almond (Prunus Dulcis [Mill.] D.A. Webb) Cultivars

Abstract

Conservation and utilization strategies require fundamental knowledge about levels of genetic diversity, population genetic structure and effective population size, because they are the key elements that determine a species ability to respond to selection, either natural and artificial procedures. Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.), widely distributed around Europe, is a multipurpose tree species of great economic importance for fruit and timber. Moreover, chestnut contributes to carbon storage, the landscape structure and the biodiversity conservation, that are relevant factors for environment management especially under climate change. Although there is information about chestnut traditional varieties, up to now, there is not complete information on the genetic diversity of natural populations in Spain. In this study, patterns of genetic variation and structure are assessed within and among natural populations of chestnut in Spain. 17 natural populations were evaluated using 7 microsatellite markers and Alleles in Space (AIS) software. This study allowed to describe the level and distribution of the genetic variability in Spanish chestnut populations, showing a high genetic diversity. Moreover, populations displayed a structure that followed a geographical pattern, indicating in a first approach, a separation between populations from West and east of the Iberian Peninsula.