Characterization of some almond genotypes naturally growing in yozgat province and its region using SSR molecular marker technique

Almond (Prunus dulcis L.) is a hard-shelled fruit species belonging to the Rosaceae family and the Prunus genus. SSR markers are among the most powerful and effective molecular markers used in genetic characterization studies. In this study, the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of nine almond genotypes naturally growing in Yozgat and its surroundings, along with seven local and foreign almond varieties, have been elucidated in detail using 18 SSR molecular markers. The analyses revealed a total of 132 alleles varying from 3 to 11 per SSR locus, with an average allele number determined as 7. The highest allele count was observed in the UDAp-439 locus. In terms of genetic diversity, the number of effective alleles (Ne) ranged from 2.11 (CPPCT008) to 6.76 (BPPCT011), with an average value of 4.90. The observed heterozygosity (Ho) varied between 0.31 and 1.00 among genotypes, averaging 0.73. The highest heterozygosity value (1.00) was determined in the BPPCT032 locus. Expected heterozygosity (He) was highest in UDAp-439, BPPCT032, and BPPCT011 loci, with an average of 0.78. The Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) values of the loci, which indicate genetic diversity and the discriminative power of markers, varied between 0.44 (CPPCT008) and 0.83 (UDP98-411, UDAp-439, BPPCT032, and BPPCT011) in this study. These results demonstrate the high discriminative power of the used SSR markers and the ability to analyze genetic diversity in detail. When the dendrogram obtained by the UPGMA method and the PCoA graph were examined together, it was determined that the almond varieties and genotypes were divided into two main groups and then into four different subgroups. The genetic similarity coefficients ranged from 0.24 to 0.88. The dendrogram and STRUCTURE results are very similar to each other. The overall genetic differentiation models examined using UPGMA, structural analysis, and PCoA are compatible with each other. This study has successfully characterized the genetic diversity and relationships of almond genotypes and varieties in the Yozgat region. The results demonstrate that some almond genotypes and varieties in Yozgat and its surroundings are genetically diverse. This diversity indicates that the region is rich in almond genetic resources and has potential for breeding programs.