Abstract
Blueberry is a small fruit crop which includes a complex group of different Vaccinium species of various ploidy levels. Commercial blueberries have been grown in Europe most recently, so there is not much information available about their adaptation into new regions. In this work we investigated adaptation to the environmental conditions of northern Spain, in terms of flowering and ripening seasons, of a set of 70 blueberry cultivars including several of the most important cultivated American species (V. corymbosum, V. virgatum, V. macrocarpon and V. uliginosum) in order to identify which types are best-suited in this geographical area of Europe. Most materials showed high chilling requirements for flowering under local conditions, while materials with low-chilling requirements showed problems in the maturation process of the flowers. Most cultivars were early or mid-season while a relative lack of late-season cultivars was observed. GBS was used for the analysis of genetic diversity in this sample of 70 cultivars. A total of 5255 SNP markers were obtained and a cluster analysis revealed three main groups associated with the ploidy level of the species. A Principal Component Analysis revealed a grouping of the V. corymbosum cultivars according to their chilling requirements. A total of 29 SNPs were identified as being highly informative for diversity analysis and potentially useful for cultivar identification and for breeding purposes. The results obtained from this research should contribute to the expansion of this crop, as well as providing data about genetic diversity useful for the preservation of genetic resources or for future breeding programs.
Highlights
Blueberries (Vaccinium section Cyanococcus) are perennial shrubs and small fruit crops, production of which has risen quickly around the world [1] associated with an increase in consumer demand due to their recognized health benefits [2,3,4]
One of the aims of this work was to investigate the adaptation to the environmental conditions of northern Spain, in terms of flowering and ripening seasons, of a set of 70 commercial blueberry cvs of North American origin in order to identify which types are best suited to conditions in northern Spain or to similar latitudes
We investigated the adaptation of a set of 70 blueberry cvs of American origin to the environmental conditions in northern Spain (Europe), and assessed the genetic diversity within this set using the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variation supplied by a GBS analysis
Summary
Blueberries (Vaccinium section Cyanococcus) are perennial shrubs and small fruit crops, production of which has risen quickly around the world [1] associated with an increase in consumer demand due to their recognized health benefits [2,3,4]. Blueberries have a high concentration of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins [5], which are known for their high antioxidant capacity that neutralizes free radicals and can potentially provide protection against carcinogenicity, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative changes
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
