Abstract
The characterization of plant genetic resources is a precondition for genetic improvement and germplasm management. The increasing use of molecular markers for DNA-based genotype signature is crucial for variety identification and traceability in the food supply chain. We collected 75 Sicilian hazelnut accessions from private and public field collections, including widely grown varieties from the Nebrodi Mountains in north east Sicily (Italy). The germplasm was fingerprinted through nine standardized microsatellites (SSR) for hazelnut identification to evaluate the genetic diversity of the collected accessions, validating SSR discrimination power. We identified cases of homonymy and synonymy among acquisitions and the unique profiles. The genetic relationships illustrated by hierarchical clustering, structure, and discriminant analyses revealed a clear distinction between local and commercial varieties. The comparative genetic analysis also showed that the Nebrodi genotypes are significantly different from the Northern Italian, Iberian, and Turkish genotypes. These results highlight the need and urgency to preserve Nebrodi germplasm as a useful and valuable source for traits of interest employable for breeding. Our study demonstrates the usefulness of molecular marker analysis to select a reference germplasm collection of Sicilian hazelnut varieties and to implement certified plants’ production in the supply chain.
Highlights
Corylus avellana L. is probably native from Asia Minor due to its wide distribution and as wild forms in Pontus
Ten samples were randomly selected to check the purity of gDNA by individual and multiplex PCR amplification using three different SSRs
The Sicilian genotypes collected in the Nebrodi Mountains were distinguished from the Northern Italian genotypes and even more from Iberian and Turkish genotypes. These results show a more significant distinction of the Sicilian germplasm compared to the previous studies, highlighting a low gene flow between Northern and Southern in north east Sicily (Italy) and more exchange events between the germplasm collections from Southern Italy [28]
Summary
Corylus avellana L. is probably native from Asia Minor due to its wide distribution and as wild forms in Pontus (an ancient province in northern Anatolia) This theory is supported by the name of hazelnut fruits, Pontikón (káryon) or (karua) Pontika, káryon Pontikón (Ponto nut) given by Greeks [1]. The most common name is “hazelnut”, while the less known is ‘filberts’, which refers to the long leafy husks covering the nut of some hazelnut varieties [2]. It is a diploid (2n = 2x = 22) monoecious, dichogamous, and wind-pollinated species [3,4], which presents sporophytic self-incompatibility [5,6]. Hazelnut trees grow wild in many regions of the world, through Europe, Asia, and
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