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Genetic composition and differentiation of sloe (Prunus spinosa L.) populations in Germany with respect to the tracing of reproductive plant material

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Abstract

Sloe (Prunus spinosa L.) is a shrub native to Europe. In Germany, 50–80 % of all planted sloe is imported. Little is known about the genetic diversity patterns within and between German sloe populations. Thus, a debate arose how to avoid risks for nature and landscape by planting potentially maladapted material. The main objectives of our study are to analyse the genetic differentiation pattern of sloe populations in Germany, to identify geographic/genetic structures and to evaluate their potential for tracing reproductive material. 17 natural populations from Germany and 1 from Italy and Hungary were investigated by Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLP) and PCR–RFLP techniques. The AMOVA analyses based on AFLPs for all populations and for the German populations only result in equally high differentiation values of ΦPT = 15 % of molecular variance between populations. The analysis of cpDNA PCR–RFLPs resulted in 24 haplotypes with 30 % showing genetic variation between populations. Overall values of genetic variability over all loci and populations are: Na = 0.832, Ne = 1.114 and He = 0.072. Mantel tests for AFLPs and cpDNA haplotypes reveal no association between geographic and genetic distances between populations as a result of a lack of differentiation between German populations and those from southern and southeastern Europe. Weak geographic/genetic patterns were observed on a large scale. However, these concern the German populations only. Our results indicate that vegetative regeneration in combination with founder effects may influence the level of differentiation between populations. Populations with a large amount of vegetative propagation are more differentiated from other populations than those populations which exhibit less vegetative regeneration. The assignment of reproductive material (i.e. plant material) to potential source populations resulted in high values of correct allocations. Hence, such methods can be applied to trace reproductive material of unknown origin.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Olga Artes, Alexandra Lindner und Barbara Buchwinkler for their outstanding work in the lab. The kind and efficient support of Dr. Norbert Kowarsch (BLE, Referat 514, Projektträger Agrarforschung) during all phases of the project is highly appreciated. This work was financially supported by the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) through the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE), grant number 2807BM029.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Abteilung Forstgenetik und Forstpflanzenzüchtung, Fakultät für Forstwissenschaften und Waldökologie, Büsgeninstitut, Universität Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Ludger Leinemann & Reiner Finkeldey

  2. Abteilung Waldgenressourcen, Nordwestdeutsche Forstliche Versuchsanstalt, Prof.-Oelkers-Str. 6, 34346, Hann. Münden, Germany

    Jörg Kleinschmit

  3. ASP Teisendorf, Forstamtsplatz 1, 83317, Teisendorf, Germany

    Barbara Fussi

  4. ISOGEN, am Institut für Forstgenetik und Forstpflanzenzüchtung, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Bernhard Hosius & Oleksandra Kuchma

  5. Service- und Kompetenzzentrum, THÜRINGENFORST, Jägerstraße 1, 99867, Gotha, Germany

    Wolfgang Arenhövel

  6. Forschungsanstalt für Waldökologie und Forstwirtschaft Rheinland-Pfalz, Hauptstraße 16, 67705, Trippstadt, Germany

    Patrick Lemmen

  7. FB Waldentwicklung/Monitoring, Landeskompetenzzentrum Forst Eberswalde, Alfred-Möller-Str. 1, 16225, Eberswalde, Germany

    Ralf Kätzel

  8. Landesbetrieb Wald und Holz Nordrhein-Westfalen, Lehr- und Versuchsforstamt Arnsberger Wald, Obereimer 13, 59821, Arnsberg, Germany

    Martin Rogge

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  1. Ludger Leinemann
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  3. Barbara Fussi
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Correspondence to Ludger Leinemann.

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Leinemann, L., Kleinschmit, J., Fussi, B. et al. Genetic composition and differentiation of sloe (Prunus spinosa L.) populations in Germany with respect to the tracing of reproductive plant material. Plant Syst Evol 300, 2115–2125 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-014-1027-7

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