Genetic diversity of myrobalan (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.), an overlooked plum species in Slovenia

Abstract Slovenia has a favorable geographical location that allows the use of sustainable fruit production, which is especially beneficial in the context of global climate change. Efficient breeding programs, resulting in well-adapted cultivars, should include wide genetic resources as new sources of diversity. Due to its adaptability, myrobalan ( Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.) is a promising alternative for plum cultivation. The main objective of this study was to collect new material and investigate the genetic diversity and structure of a local P. cerasifera collection prospected across the country. A total of 42 genotypes were genotyped using a set of 11 simple sequence repeats (SSRs). Relatively high diversity levels were found: the average number of alleles per locus was 10.38, the mean expected heterozygosity (He) was 0.77, the mean observed heterozygosity (Ho) was 0.64, and the mean polymorphic information contain (PIC) was 0.754. In addition, 32 private alleles were detected. A Bayesian analysis identified three ancestral populations, and a clustering analysis mainly grouped the material according to the origin of the accessions. This work provides a valuable insight into the diversity of Slovenian P. cerasifera genetic resources, basis for the selection of new materials suitable for a plum production to face the future global agricultural challenges.