Characterization of indigenous phalsa (Grewia subinequalis) genotypes using morphological traits and ISSR markers

Abstract

Background: Phalsa (Grewia subinequalis L.) is a commercial and nutritionally important berry fruit. It is cultivated in Pakistan as a minor fruit crop without any variety characterization. Therefore, the objective of to assess genetic diversity through ISSR markers and morphological features of wild phalsa genotypes collected from different parts of Punjab, Pakistan. Methods: Morphological characteristics such as plant height, stem circumference, growth habit, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, leaf color and leaf apex shape showed high variation among genotypes. Results: Among the twenty inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) primers, UBC-812 exhibited the highest PIC values of (0.485) and Dj (0.389) compared to other primers, which considered it better for the identification of phalsa genotypes and prediction of diversity. Moreover, the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean cluster analysis divided the sampled genotypes into five clusters (clusters A-E) based on morphological analysis, while molecular data divided the genotypes into eight clusters (clusters A-H). Conclusion: This study confirmed the high diversity in wild populations especially 'O1P2” and “O7P3” genotypes, with both DNA-based and morphological descriptors that depict their potential use for future phalsa breeding programs.

Keywords

• Grewia subinequalis
• Morphological traits
• Genetic diversity
• ISSR markers
• Cluster analysis