Exploring genetic diversity of Turkish fig (Ficus carica L.) germplasm using inter-Primer Binding Site (iPBS) retrotransposon markers

Abstract

The common fig belonging to the Moraceae family, is valued for its latex-producing plant parts and commercially important fruit, rich in phenolic antioxidants, nutrients, and fiber, and consumed fresh or dried. The present study aimed to assess the genetic diversity of 73 fig (Ficus carica L.) genotypes collected from the Derecik and ÇUKURCA districts of the Hakkari Province of Turkey with the inter-Primer Binding Site (iPBS)-retrotransposons marker system. Molecular characterization with 12 most polymorphic primers revealed a total of 255 scorable bands, and 2375 primer produced a maximum of 36 alleles. The polymorphism information content (PIC) was recorded in a range of 0.406–0.455. The genetic diversity indices showed a mean gene diversity of 0.33 and a Shannon's information index of 0.50. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed higher genetic differences within the population (96%) compared to among the population (4%). The population structure and Neighbor-joining analysis-based clustering divided the entire genotype into two groups mainly their collection point. Turkish fig germplasm exhibits significant genetic diversity, which is crucial for breeding programs aimed at enhancing the resilience and productivity of new cultivars.