Using a set of SSR markers chosen by the ECPGR to systematize the national pear collection

Background. According to international requirements, maintenance of a fruit crop collection involves the use of significant material resources. One of the most important tasks is to prevent duplicate samples from entering the collection. The genetic uniqueness and identity of pear accessions preserved at the Institute for Fruit Growing were studied with SSR markers recommended by the ECPGR.

Materials and methods. The material of the study included 9 pear accessions obtained from expeditions in the Republic of Belarus and 5 control cultivars from breeding stations and research institutes. Their identification was carried out with the SSR analysis method, using 12 markers.

Results. This analysis ascertained that a number of accessions received from other institutions and from amateurs, with different names, were in fact cvs. ‘Talgarskaya Krasavitsa’, ‘Clapp Favorite’, ‘Doyenné du Comice’, and ‘Vasarine Sviestine’. Besides, the uniqueness was proved for cvs. ‘Podarok Krasnokutsky’ and ‘Semenovskaya’. Priority markers (EMPc117, EMPc11, CH04e03, CH01f07a, CH01d08, CH01d09, GD147, CH05c06 and CH03d12) showed a high level of efficiency during the molecular genetic analysis. As a result, a total of 96 alleles were identified with the mean number of 8.0 alleles per marker; the mean number of informative alleles was 5.44. Based on the results obtained by mathematical calculations (He, EMR, and MI), the EMPc117 primer was found to be more effective. The He for the 12 SSR primers varied between 0,52−0,89, averaging 0,77 units. The calculated parameters for these markers in the studied cultivars were found to be consistent with the analysis results of other authors from Sweden, Germany, and England, which is extremely important when comparing plant collections from different databases.

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