Study of Genetic Diversity in Pomegranate Germplasm of Yazd Province of Iran
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IRANIAN JOURNAL of GENETICS and PLANT BREEDING, Vol. 6, No. 2, Oct 2017 Study of genetic diversity in pomegranate germplasm of Yazd province of Iran Mehdi Zahravi1*, Mohammad Reza Vazifeshenas2 1Department of Genetics and National Plant Gene Bank of Iran, Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO). P. O. Box: 31359-33151, Karaj, Iran. 2Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center of Yazd, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Yazd, Iran. *Corresponding author, Email: [email protected]. Tel: +98-26-32701260. Fax: +98-26-32716793. Abstract INTRODUCTION A total of 117 pomegranate genotypes collected Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a member of from different areas of Yazd province of Iran were Punicaceae family and is considered for its edible fruits, studied for genetic variation by evaluating 23 medicinal properties and application in food industry morphological traits according to the international (Martinez-Nicolas et al., 2016). Pomegranate is descriptor. Similar diversity pattern of the originated from Iran and neighboring countries (Stover measured characteristics was observed in three and Mercure, 2007). The importance of this product in types of sweet, sweet-sour and sour varieties. The non-oil exports made it to be considered as an export traits shape of fruit base, suckering tendency, vigor commodity in the agricultural sector (Anonymous, of tree, fruit shape and aril color had the highest 2009). Iran is one of the largest pomegranate producers power of discrimination. The results of evaluation in the world (Sarkhosh et al., 2006). About 5% of the of genetic distances revealed discrepancies in the production of horticultural products and about 15% of pairs of genotypes with similar denominations. semi-tropical fruits production of Iran are allocated to The sites of Taft and Yazd were located in the pomegranates. Approximately 10% of the cultivation same group in the dendrogram of origins of the area of the subtropical fruits of Iran is dedicated to germplasm, while Bafq and Ardakan together were pomegranate (Anonymous, 2009). placed in another group separated from group Pomegranate is able to grow in a wide range of of Ashkezar and Mehriz. Abarhuk and Khatam climatic conditions and is suitable for a variety of regions also made single-membered groups. soils. However, it is mainly cultivated in the marginal The results of discriminant analysis revealed areas of the desert, which is not suitable for the that a large number of genotypes were assigned economic cultivation of many fruit trees (Sarkhosh to their original collecting locations with low et al., 2006). Considering that the marginal areas of probabilities indicating a high degree of genetic the desert cover the vast surface of Iran, pomegranate exchanges. The genotypes were separated in 11 cultivation is very important in this unfavorable different groups by K means clustering method situation (Mirjalili, 2003). Yazd province is located with defined characteristics. The supplement of in the central plain of Iran. This province is ranked characterization of the germplasm was suggested fifth in terms of cultivation area and production of through evaluating commercial traits and by pomegranates after the provinces of Fars, Markazi, molecular markers. Khorasan Razavi and Isfahan (Anonymous, 2009). Key words: Gene Bank, Gene Pool, Genetic Yazd province is characterized by the distribution of Resources, Genetic Variation. its pomegranate orchards in most of the provinces so 20 Zahravi and Vazifeshenas that it can be said that most of the agricultural land stage, Zarei and Azizi (2010) concluded that Faroogh is suitable for the production of this horticultural crop cultivar had more considerable advantages than the (Behzadi Sharebabaki, 1991). Pomegranate cultivation other evaluated cultivars and was recommend to be in the province faces restrictions such as cold weather used as either for export and internal consumption in winter and early spring. The land of pomegranate or as processed forms in fruit juice factories. This orchards in this province is subjected to destruction cultivar had the highest aril and content of reducing and erosion. Many of the old orchards are a mixture sugar and lowest fruit weight and peel percentage. of different varieties of high quality and poor quality Evaluation of 26 quantitative and qualitative fruit traits with different characteristics, and some orchards do in eleven commercial pomegranate cultivars showed not have enough fruiting, and therefore, it is necessary that they were significantly different for all evaluated to take systematic steps to improve and replace these traits, except peel and aril percentage (Tatari et al., orchards (Behzadi Sharebabaki, 1991; Vazifeshenas, et 2011). The results of diversity analysis of 49 wild and al., 2009). commercial pomegranate genotypes by 26 qualitative Identifying genetic diversity and classifying genetic and quantitative traits of fruits and leaves showed that resources is a fundamental issue for the successful besides commercial genotypes, wild genotypes also design of breeding programs and has a significant had desired traits, so the authors insisted on preventing role in facilitating the management of conservation these genotypes from extinction and also on using them of genetic collections (Martinez-Nicolas et al., 2016). for pomegranate improvement and establishment of Iran has a rich pomegranate germplasm. More than collections as a basic step for the preservation purpose 760 pomegranate genotypes from different provinces (Adabi Firouz Jaei et al., 2013). of Iran have been collected in Yazd collection. Due This research was conducted to investigate the to the long history of cultivation and diversity, genetic diversity of pomegranate genotypes in Yazd pomegranate cultivars have similarity of names or province and to identify distinctive traits. similar genotypes in different regions. Studies have been carried out to identify pomegranate genotypes, MATERIALS AND METHODS properties and diversity in some regions of Iran with limited morphological characteristics (Behzadi Plant materials of this research included pomegranate Sharebabaki, 1991) as well as molecular features in germplasms previously collected from different the past (Moslemi et al., 2010; Zeinalabedini et al., regions within Yazd province of Iran (Table 1). These 2012; Nemati et al., 2012; Kazemi Alamuti et al., comprised 117 out of more than 760 pomegranate 2013). Properties such as geometric mean diameter, genotypes which are maintained at Yazd pomegranate volume, true density and packaging coefficient collection in Agriculture and Natural Resources values, projected and surface areas, terminal velocity, Research Centre of Yazd (35°31′N, 51°67′E, 918 m dropping time and drag and buoyancy forces which alt.). The studied trees were 25 years old and planted are necessary to the design of transportation, grading in four replicates. A total of 23 traits were evaluated and processing equipment of the pomegranate varieties according to international descriptor of International have been investigated in commercial pomegranate Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants varieties (Dadashi et al., 2001). Investigation on (2011) by obtaining thirty samples from each replicate genetic relations among some closely related Iranian in the 2011-2012 growing season. These traits included pomegranate genotypes with similar names, from Yazd fruit shape, shape of fruit base, shape of fruit apex, and Isfahan areas showed that despite the low level of fruit symmetry, length of fruit crown, skin color, aril detected polymorphism by AFLP marker, differences color, petiole color, apical nectar gland, leaf length to existed among genotypes in one cultivar as well as width ratio, relative length of petiole to leaf middle between the two geographical regions (Rahimi et al., vein, position of flowers, bearing habit, regularity 2005). Investigation of physicochemical properties of of flowering, growth habit, vigor of tree, suckering ten varieties of Yazd pomegranate seeds showed that tendency, wood surface, thorness, color of one-year- the highest quantities of minerals belonged to Mg, K old shoot, shape of leaf blade, shape of leaf apex and and Na (Samadloiy et al., 2006). In this research, the intensity of leaf green color. Descriptive statistics quantities of ash and protein in pomegranate seeds including minimum, maximum, median and mode were 1.81-2.35% and 6.63- 12.95%, respectively. By were calculated. Shannon index (Shannon, 1948) was studying some of the major physical and chemical used as the criterion for the variability of the evaluated properties of six pomegranate cultivars at the ripening traits within each group of sweet, sweet-sour and sour 21 IRANIAN JOURNAL of GENETICS and PLANT BREEDING, Vol. 6, No. 2, Oct 2017 22 Table 1.Table Pomegranate 1. Pomegranate germplasm germplasm of of Yazd Yazd province province used for used the study for ofthe genetic study diversity. of genetic diversity o. Genotype Origin o. Genotype Origin o. Genotype Origin Shirin Poust Koloft 1 Shekari Marvast Khatam 2 Sahourehi Taft Taft 39 Khatam arat Gl Gazi Torsh 2 Zagh Yazdi Yazd 21 Gl Mamouli Taft Taft 40 Khatam arabaran Galou Barik arat 3 Shahvar Shirin Yazdi Yazd 22 abati Ardakan Ardakan 1 Mehriz Mehriz 4 Malas Yazdi Yazd 23 Gl Gabri Taft Taft 2 imouli Riz arabarjan Khatam Khani Daneh Sefid 5 Bazri Marvast Mehriz Mehriz 2 Aminah Khatouni