Genetic diversity and structure analysis of 'Ak Sakı' and 'Kara Sakı' apple cultivars growing in Erzincan/Türkiye

In this study, ‘Ak Sakı’ and ‘Kara Sakı’ apple cultivars were collected fromdifferent locations in Erzincan province, Türkiye, and genetic diversitywas determined using the Start Codon Targeted (SCoT) marker technique.The SCoT marker technique was chosen because its gene targeting, longprimer, and high annealing temperature make it more effective than othermarker techniques. Using ten SCoT primers, 60 bands were obtained, and42 of them were polymorphic. The polymorphism rate was determined to be70%. The UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic mean)dendrogram created using the PAUP 4.0b10 program consists of two clades.The genetic distance between apple cultivars varies between 0.13462 and0.45614. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) results were compatible withthe UPGMA dendrogram. With the SCoT marker technique, genetic diversityamong apple cultivars can be determined in a shorter time and with morereliable results.