Abstract
The amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique was employed to assess the genetic conformity within a gene pool of evergreen azaleas. Ninety-three genotypes grown in historical gardens and nurseries of the Lake Maggiore area (Northern Italy), locally classified in the groups Indica, Japonica and Amoena, 44 reference cultivars of the four more or less universally recognized groups Belgian, Hirado, Kurume and Satsuki, and 40 species and species accessions that most concurred in the origin of the reference groups were included. Aims of the study were to define the genetic profiles of the Italian accessions and to provide useful information for their classification and pedigree reconstruction. Ordination analyses were used to evaluate if the AFLP technique can be applied to establish phylogenetic relationships and to investigate the DNA-based relatedness within the Italian gene pool and between the latter and the reference one. The results regarding the Italian accessions were compared with morphological data by means of Mantel’s test. Assignment tests both on the level of the groups and on individual plant level for the reference and Italian genotypes were applied to further evaluate the relatedness of the groups or individual accessions. Results demonstrated that the AFLP technique together with morphological characterization can contribute to depict the phylogeny of the evergreen azalea. Comparing the reference and Italian genotypes, conclusions about the classification of the evergreen azalea cultivars located in the Lake Maggiore area were drawn.
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Acknowledgements
We wish to thank Elena Accati for her precious and far-seeing advise, Joseph Heursel, Yuji Kurashige and Dora Remotti for their inspiring discussions, Francesco Merlo for his help in morphological data collection and Veerle Buysens for her assistance in DNA preparations and AFLP reactions. The whole staff of the biotech lab of the ILVO – Plant Sciences Unit was very much appreciated for their support and skilful assistance. This research was funded by the Regione Piemonte, Settore Servizi di Sviluppo Agricolo and the Ministry of Agriculture of Flanders.
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Scariot, V., Handa, T. & De Riek, J. A contribution to the classification of evergreen azalea cultivars located in the Lake Maggiore area (Italy) by means of AFLP markers. Euphytica 158, 47–66 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-007-9425-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-007-9425-3