Study of Genetic Diversity of Some Pomegranate Cultivars by Using ISSR Technique

The study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of seven cultivars of pomegranate in one of the private orchards in the city of Heet, Anbar Governorate, during the 2021 growing season. The ISSR technique was employed to determine the genetic relationships among the studied pomegranate cultivars, using 10 primers, 7 of which were capable of detecting genetic variations. Statistical analysis revealed the possibility of dividing the studied cultivars into two groups: the first group consisting of four cultivars (Nab Al-Jamal, Wonderful, Malisi, and Hitawi). The second group, includes three cultivars (Shahrban, Rawa Seedless, and Salimi). The genetic similarity among these cultivars ranged from 66% to 91%, with a total of 68 bands produced, including 53 polymorphic bands, with an average of 7.57 bands per studied cultivar. The polymorphic ratio was 77%. It was found that primer ISSR 8932809 produced the highest number of bands, with 13 bands, while primer ISSR 8932804 produced the lowest number of bands (6), with an average of 9.71 bands per primer. The studied cultivars could be classified into groups according to the degree of genetic relationship. The genetic similarity among these cultivars ranged from 66% to 91%, with a total of 68 bands produced, including 53 polymorphic bands, with an average of 7.57 bands per studied cultivar. The polymorphic ratio was 77%. It was found that primer ISSR 8932809 produced the highest number of bands, with 13 bands, while primer ISSR 8932804 produced the lowest number of bands (6), with an average of 9.71 bands per primer. The studied cultivars could be classified into groups according to the degree of genetic relationship.