Genetic Variability of Autochthonous Pear Varieties from Tuzla Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Pear as a fruit species has a special place because of its quality characteristic. The fact that about 20,000 pear seedlings are considered to be sold annually in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are autochthonous or spontaneously expanded varieties, also speaks in favor. The main goal of this research is to analyze the genetic variability of nine autochthonous pear varieties in Tuzla Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina to enable the conservation and expansion of existing genetic resources. The study included nine autochthonous pear varieties. Samples of young leaves were collected on the following localities: the town of Srebrenik, the town of Gradačac, the municipality of Čelić-Tuzla Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the spring 2019. To determine genetic diversity, 12 SSR (Simple Sequence Repeats) markers were genotyped. There were no cases of synonyms or homonyms in the analyzed set. Each of the nine tested varieties represents a unique genotype. Autochthonous pear cultivars analyzed in this paper represent an interesting genetic resource, with useful agronomic traits that can be used in future cultivation.