Assessment of apple core collections constructed using phenotypic and genotypic data

Area of Science:

• Plant genetics
• Horticultural science
• Germplasm conservation

Background:

• Core collections are vital for conserving genetic diversity in plant germplasm.
• The impact of selection data type (molecular vs. phenotypic) on core collection representativeness is not well understood.
• Understanding this impact is crucial for effective germplasm management and breeding programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of molecular and phenotypic data in establishing apple core collections.
• To compare the retained genetic diversity and population structure between core subsets selected using different data types.
• To determine the influence of selection data on the representativeness of apple core collections.

Main Methods:

• Developed two apple core subsets using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and phenotypic traits.
• Assessed genetic diversity using Nei and Shannon indices and allele/class frequencies.
• Compared diversity and population structure between core subsets and the whole collection.

Main Results:

• Both molecular and phenotypic data successfully captured genetic diversity and population structure.
• The two core subsets exhibited similar diversity levels, comparable to the original whole collection.
• Allele and class frequencies were consistently maintained across the subsets and the whole collection.

Conclusions:

• The type of data used for core collection selection had minimal impact on retained phenotypic and genetic diversity in apples.
• Molecular markers (SSR) are recommended for apple germplasm core collection due to rapid and reliable characterization.
• Effective conservation and utilization of apple genetic resources can be achieved regardless of data type used for core subset selection.