Molecular characterization and relationships among some fig (Ficus carica L.) genotypes from the collection of the Faculty of Horticulture, Bucharest, using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers

The development of molecular marker technology in the late 20th century has revolutionized plant breeding, particularly for minor species that previously lacked sufficient data. Accurate information on structure and genetic diversity is crucial to improve this activity. This study was conducted on fig accessions from various regions of Romania. The accessions are part of the fig germplasm collection at the Faculty of Horticulture, Bucharest. The genetic variability among 31 fig (Ficus carica L.) accessions was examined using 17 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers previously developed for this crop. The primer pairs revealed a total of 54 alleles. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to six, with an average of 3.60 alleles per locus. The mean expected (He) was 0.55, and the mean polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.61. The genetic relationships are illustrated by hierarchical clustering. UPGMA cluster analysis grouped the fig accessions analyzed into two principal clusters. All of these suggest a molecular diversity among the studied fig accessions.