Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., X:X | DOI: 10.17221/12/2026-CJGPB

Assessment of genetic diversity and population structure of almond germplasm in Van Province, Türkiye, using iPBS-retrotransposon-based markersOriginal Paper

Berna Sarman ORCID...1, Metin Koçak ORCID...1*
1 Agricultural Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, Van, Türkiye

The genetic characterisation of naturally occurring almond genotypes can guide the selection of genetic resources to be used in the breeding programme. Therefore, this study aims to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of almond germplasm comprising 50 accessions naturally occurring in Van, Türkiye, along with two commercial varieties (Pabuç and Dokuzoğuz). Thirteen inter-primer binding site (iPBS) retrotransposon markers generated a total of 102 bands, of which 95 were polymorphic. The average polymorphic band number per marker was 7.3, with a range of 5 to 13. A formula yielding a maximum of 0.5 resulted in polymorphic information content (PIC) values between 0.27 and 0.43, with a mean value of 0.36. Unweighted pair group method algorithm (UPGMA), principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), and STRUCTURE analysis, based on Bayesian clustering analysis, yielded consistent results, indicating that local populations (Akdamar and Çarpanak) were distinctly grouped, while commercial accessions were clustered with Çarpanak accessions. The diversity metrics and classification analysis utilising 13 iPBS-retrotransposon markers demonstrated that the iPBS-retrotransposon marker system possesses significant promise for evaluating the genetic variety and population structure of almonds.

Keywords: almond; genetic resources; genetic variation; iPBS-retrotransposon markers; molecular characterisation

Received: January 29, 2026; Revised: March 5, 2026; Accepted: March 5, 2026; Prepublished online: April 15, 2026 

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