Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis of Genetic Diversity and Relationships of Wild and Cultivated Peach (Prunus persica L.)

Abstract

<jats:p>To date, a narrow genetic base is a serious obstacle in peach (<jats:italic>Prunus persica</jats:italic> L.) production. Wild peach resources are useful germplasms for breeding new cultivars. In this study, amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) were used to analyze the genetic diversity and relationships of wild and cultivated peach germplasms. These results showed that AFLP is an efficient technique for identifying the genetic relationships of wild and cultivated peach. Thirteen AFLP primer combinations generated a total of 377 scorable and clear fragments, all of which (100%) were polymorphic. Moreover, the polymorphism information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.91 to 0.96 with a mean of 0.95. The results of the principal component analysis (PCoA) largely corresponded to those obtained using cluster analysis. The three principal axes accounted for 2.6%, 5.79%, and 25.26% of the total variation, respectively. In conclusion, wild peach germplasms should receive special attention to ensure their conservation.</jats:p>

Impacts of Chronic Habitat Fragmentation on Genetic Diversity of Natural Populations of Prunus persica in China

“…The above analysis indicates the extant wild populations of P. persica maintain a relatively low level of genetic diversity. The low level of genetic diversity for P. persica was also revealed in other previous studies using different types of molecular markers [ 17 , 29 ].…”

“…Information about genetic diversity and genetic structure of fruit species may help us to understand their demographic history and evolutionary potential, which is of great importance for designing breeding and conservation programs. There are increasing numbers of reports on evaluation of genetic diversity for peach cultivars, rootstocks, and a limited number of wild individuals based on different types of markers [ 16 , 17 ]. However, studies about the patterns of genetic variation in wild populations of P. persica at population level are scarce [ 16 ].…”