Cultivating Novel Hybrid Strawberry Genotypes: Unveiling Genetic Diversity and Plant Traits
Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, cilt.151, sa.6, ss.578-591, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 151 Sayı: 6
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.21273/jashs05575-26
- Dergi Adı: Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Directory of Open Access Journals
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.578-591
- Anahtar Kelimeler: genetic diversity, hybridization, inter simple sequence repeat, ISSR markers, morphological traits, strawberry breeding
- Erciyes Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
We investigated the genetic diversity and plant traits of 150 strawberry genotypes, encompassing the ‘Osmanlı’, ‘Festival’, ‘Amiga’, and ‘Sabrina’ varieties and their hybrids. The study used inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers to assess genetic relationships and morphological traits, with the aim of supporting breeding programs for superior cultivars. The ISSR analysis generated 123 DNA bands, of which 88 were polymorphic, corresponding to a polymorphism rate of 71.54%, indicating substantial genetic variability among the genotypes. Clear genetic divergence was observed between ‘Osmanlı’ and large-fruit commercial genotypes, with genetic similarity coefficients ranging from 0.55 to 1.00. Morphological traits, including leaf color, plant shape, fruit color, fruit size, plant vigor, and yield, were evaluated using standardized descriptors, revealing considerable phenotypic variation among hybrid combinations. A moderate positive correlation between plant vigor and yield (r 5 0.23) was identified, suggesting that increased vigor may contribute to yield improvement at the early breeding stage. ‘Osmanlı’, characterized by its unique aroma and taste but low yield, was crossbred with the high-yielding commercial cultivars Festival, Amiga, and Sabrina to generate genetically diverse hybrid populations. Overall, the results demonstrate that integrating molecular diversity analysis with morphological screening provides a practical framework for early-stage selection and supports subsequent quality-focused and multienvironment breeding evaluations.