Morphological variability of naturally grown Prunus scoparia Spach accessions

Abstract

Prunus scoparia Spach is a potentially multi-purpose wild almond species that has the capability of becoming a crop of choice in arid and semi-arid areas. The range of phenotypic variability among the accessions of this species was evaluated using morphological and pomological traits. The results have shown the existence of a significant morphological variability among the accessions studied. Leaf length ranged from 11.09 to 47.00 mm and leaf width varied from 1.60 to 8.82 mm. Nut weight ranged from 0.19 to 0.80 g and kernel weight varied from 0.06 to 0.24 g. Kernel weight was positively and significantly correlated with nut dimensions and weight, while it was negatively and significantly correlated with shell hardness. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated 14 components which explained 73.44% of total variance. Hierarchical cluster analysis identified two major clusters with several sub-clusters. The current findings demonstrated considerable phenotypic diversity in the P. scoparia germplasm studied at morphological level indicating a rich and valuable gene pool in the improvement of almond cultivars and rootstocks. The wide adaptation of P. scoparia highlights its potential as a genetic resource in breeding programs for resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses such as drought and spring frost.