Genetic Diversity of pear (Pyrus spp) Germplasm Assessed by Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) and Morphological Traits

Abstract

This study was conducted to identify and recognize relations and diversity among accessions of the Iranianpears (<em>Pyrus spp</em>). A total of 34 pear accessions, derived presumably from at least six species, were subjected to simple sequence repeat (SSR) analysis. The Japanese and the Chinese pear samples were; “Housui" and “Yali" cultivars, example of <em>Pyrus pyrifolia and P. </em><em>bretschneideri</em>, respectively. Some European pears and Iranian germplasm were analyzed. Seven SSR markers (KU10, BGA35, BGT23b, NH011b, NH013a, NH004a and NH015a) were used for the analysis. One hundred six visible amplified fragments (putative alleles) acquired for 34 pear samples NH011b and NH015a loci exhibited high heterozygosities of 0.82 and 0.79, respectively. BGA35 produced eight putative alleles, while NH013a created 22 putative alleles. The average value of allele per locus was 15. A phenogram was constructed based on the similarity-matrix data using the unweighted pair-group and arithmetic average methods. There was no association between the SSR and morphological phenograms. This work revealed relatedness of Iranian pear samples to the four species of <em>P. communis, P. syriaca, P. salicifolia, </em>and<em> P. glabra</em>.