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Genetic assessment of the pomological classification of plum Prunus domestica L. accessions sampled across Europe

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution volume 67, pages 1137–1161 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

The genotyping of European fruit tree collections has helped to identify synonyms, determine parentage, reveal key specimens in the collections and provide information on the development of modern cultivars from one or several progenitors. However, studies on European plum Prunus domestica L. accessions have been lagging behind, mainly because of the hexaploid chromosome number. In this co-operative study, 104 accessions conserved by 14 partners across Europe were phenotyped for 20 descriptors, and genotyped for 8 SSR loci together with 8 reference cultivars. Based on the descriptors and additional information supplied by the partners, as well as the scientific and horticultural literature, each accession was assigned to one of six pomological groups; (1) egg plums sensu lato (E), (2) prunes of the French d’Agen type (P/A), (3) prunes of the Central-Southeast European Zwetschen type (P/Z), (4) greengages (G), (5) mirabelles (M) and (6) bullaces, damsons and var. pomariorum (D/B). A MANOVA conducted on descriptor data revealed significant differentiation among the pomological groups as well as a geographic impact on the differentiation of local plum accessions in Europe. SSR data showed that two trios and seven pairs of genotypes had very similar allele profiles and possibly are genetically identical in spite of different accession names. An AMOVA indicated sparse genetic differentiation when accessions were grouped according to geographic origin whereas significant differences were obtained among pomological groups. A Bayesian analysis of genetic structure, as well as a discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC), further revealed levels of similarity among and within the different pomological groups, suggesting that egg plums sensu lato (E) and greengages (G) can be referred to subsp. domestica while damsons and bullaces (D/B) but also Central-Southeast European prunes (P/Z) show more affinity to subsp. insititia. The small and possibly heterogeneous groups with mirabelles (M) and prunes of the d’Agen type (P/A) take an intermediate position suggesting a hybridogenic origin.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support was obtained through the ECPGR Activity Grant Scheme (Phase IX) First Call (PRUNDOC Project) and Fifth Call (Prunus Alignment Project). Valuable information on the plant material was supplied by Zsusanna Békefi, Hedi Kaldmäe, Erika Zetochová.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    F. Gaši & J. Grahic

  2. Balsgård–Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Fjälkestadsvägen 459, 291914, Kristianstad, Sweden

    J. Sehic & H. Nybom

  3. Njøs næringsutvikling, Njøsavegen 5, 6863, Leikanger, Norway

    S. H. Hjeltnes

  4. School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK

    M. Ordidge

  5. National Agriculture and Food Centre, Research Institute of Plant Production, Bratislavská cesta 122, 921 68, Piešt′any, Slovakia

    D. Benedikova

  6. INRA-Unité Expérimentale Arboricole, Domaine de la Tour de Rance, 47320, Bourran, France

    M. Blouin-Delmas

  7. Department of Deciduous Fruit Trees, Institute of Plant Breeding and Plant Genetic Resources, HAO-‘Demeter’, 59200, Naoussa, Greece

    P. Drogoudi

  8. CREA-Research Centre for Olive, Citrus and Fruit Tree, via la Canapona 1 bis, 47121, Forlì, Italy

    D. Giovannini

  9. Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Breeding Research on Fruit Crops, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Pillnitzer Platz 3a, 01326, Dresden, Germany

    M. Höfer

  10. Polli Horticultural Research Centre, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51014, Tartu, Estonia

    K. Kahu

  11. National Agricultural Research and Innovation Centre, Fruitculture Research Institute, Park str, 2, Budapest, 1223, Hungary

    S. Kovács

  12. Institute of Horticulture (LatHort), Graudu 1, Dobele, LV3701, Latvia

    G. Lācis

  13. Department of Life Sciences, Breeding and Biodiversity Unit, CRA-W, Rue de Liroux 4, Bâtiment Emile Marchal, 5030, Gembloux, Belgium

    M. Lateur

  14. Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen University, Højbakkegaard Alle 13, 2630, Taastrup, Denmark

    T. B. Toldam-Andersen

  15. Faculty of Agriculture, Institute for Fruit Growing and Viticulture, Sq. Dositeja Obradovica 8, Novi Sad, 21000, Serbia

    V. Ognjanov

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  1. F. Gaši
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Gaši, F., Sehic, J., Grahic, J. et al. Genetic assessment of the pomological classification of plum Prunus domestica L. accessions sampled across Europe. Genet Resour Crop Evol 67, 1137–1161 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-020-00901-y

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Keywords

  • DNA
  • Genebank
  • Microsatellite markers
  • Plant conservation
  • SSR