Comprehensive Evaluation of Apple Germplasm Genetic Diversity on the Basis of 26 Phenotypic Traits
Wen Tian,
Zichen Li,
Lin Wang,
Simiao Sun,
Dajiang Wang,
Kun Wang,
Guangyi Wang,
Zhao Liu,
Xiang Lu,
Jianrong Feng,
Yuan Gao
Affiliations
Wen Tian
Key Laboratory of Special Fruits and Vegetables Cultivation Physiology and Germplasm Resources Utilization, College of Agriculture, Shihezi University, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Shihezi 832000, China
Zichen Li
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crops Germplasm Resources Utilization, Research Institute of Pomology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xingcheng 125100, China
Lin Wang
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crops Germplasm Resources Utilization, Research Institute of Pomology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xingcheng 125100, China
Simiao Sun
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crops Germplasm Resources Utilization, Research Institute of Pomology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xingcheng 125100, China
Dajiang Wang
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crops Germplasm Resources Utilization, Research Institute of Pomology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xingcheng 125100, China
Kun Wang
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crops Germplasm Resources Utilization, Research Institute of Pomology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xingcheng 125100, China
Guangyi Wang
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crops Germplasm Resources Utilization, Research Institute of Pomology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xingcheng 125100, China
Zhao Liu
Key Laboratory of Special Fruits and Vegetables Cultivation Physiology and Germplasm Resources Utilization, College of Agriculture, Shihezi University, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Shihezi 832000, China
Xiang Lu
Key Laboratory of Special Fruits and Vegetables Cultivation Physiology and Germplasm Resources Utilization, College of Agriculture, Shihezi University, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Shihezi 832000, China
Jianrong Feng
Key Laboratory of Special Fruits and Vegetables Cultivation Physiology and Germplasm Resources Utilization, College of Agriculture, Shihezi University, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Shihezi 832000, China
Yuan Gao
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crops Germplasm Resources Utilization, Research Institute of Pomology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xingcheng 125100, China
We used 256 apple germplasm resources for a thorough examination of the genetic diversity associated with 26 phenotypic traits (i.e., genetic diversity analysis, cluster analysis, correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and membership function). The average coefficient of variation for 12 morphological traits was 66.39% (21.10–201.5%). The coefficient of variation was highest and lowest for the fruit arris and the width of the eye basin, respectively. Additionally, the diversity index ranged from 0.54 to 1.33. Moreover, the coefficient of variation for 14 numerical traits varied from 5.37% to 50%. The titratable acid content had the highest coefficient of variation, with a diversity index ranging from 2.01 to 2.08 (average of 2.045). A cluster analysis categorized 256 germplasms into four groups, among which Group I included germplasms with large fruits and the best comprehensive performance. Of the top 10 principal components revealed by the principal component analysis, principal component 1 was mainly related to fruit size and flavor. The top 10 germplasms were selected on the basis of comprehensive scores using the membership function method. Furthermore, a stepwise regression analysis identified 15 key traits for identifying apple germplasms, including the vegetative growth day, fruit weight, and the firmness of the fruit without skin. These results can serve as the foundation for future analyses of the phenotypic diversity of apple germplasms, while also providing a theoretical basis for screening, characterizing, and further improving excellent apple germplasms.
