SSR Based Molecular Characterization of Local Fig (Ficus carica L.) Germplasm in Northeastern Turkey

Turkey is accepted diversity center of fig and the country dominates world fig production for a long time. In Turkey, most of the agricultural regions have unique fig germplasm. In this study we examined 60 seed propagated wild fig accessions by SSR (Simple Sequence Repeat) analysis. The well-known Turkish fig cultivar 'Bursa Siyahi' is also included in the SSR analysis. All plant material was screened using 24 microsatellite loci. Diversity study, through SSR analysis, showed high variability among the 60 wild fig accessions. All 24 microsatellite markers were polymorphic, revealing a total of 116 alleles with 4.83 alleles per locus in all the samples analyzed. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 10. LMFC30, MFC3 and FCUP038 were found to be the most effective loci in terms of higher allele number. This study revealed that SSR markers were informative in determination of diversity in wild fig accessions. SSR analysis also revealed high ability in evaluating relationships of wild fig accessions due to their co-dominance and rich allelic diversity. High level of genetic diversity discovered by SSR markers shows the effectiveness of the markers to detect the polymorphism in this germplasm.