Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Department of Plant Breeding, Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yazd, Iran.
2
Department of Systems Biology, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.
3
Department of Plant Breeding, Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yazd, Iran
4
Yazd Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Yazd, Iran
5
., Department of Systems Biology, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
Abstract
Pomegranate is a valuable fruit tree that exhibits favorable genetic diversity in Iran. The investigation of genetic diversity is the basis of plant breeding and is of particular importance. For this purpose, 38 morphological and pomological traits of 30 pomegranate genotypes were evaluated over two consecutive years. The results indicated that the genotypes displayed a high diversity in the studied traits, with the exception of the presence of anthocyanin in the branch of this year, aril color, fruit size, fruitful flower size, and intermediate cut of the leaf. The physiological disorder of fruit skin sensitivity to bursting had a positive correlation with fruit skin sensitivity to sunburn, but it showed a negative relationship with fruit skin thickness and tree mean yield. A positive correlation was observed between fruit size and fruitful flower size, and between fruitful flower percentage and flower position. The results of the principle component analysis revealed that the characteristics of fruit skin sensitivity to bursting, tree mean yield, fruit skin thickness, flower position, and fruit shape were the most key traits in determining the diversity between the studied genotypes. Based on the results of cluster analysis, the genotypes were divided into three groups, and the first group included genotypes with the lowest fruit skin sensitivity to bursting and sunburn. Among the cultivars studied, Rabab Malas Fars, Garch-shahvar, Shahvar-ghasrdasht, and Malas-Yazdi could be considered superior and desirable cultivars due to their low sensitivity to bursting and sunburn, as well as their high fruit number and tree yield
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