Genetic diversity of some Iranian sweet cherry (Prunus avium) cultivars using microsatellite markers and morphological traits

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles by sweet cherry and its application against cherry spot disease

Asia has a rich history of cultivating sweet cherries, a practice that has been carried out since ancient times. However, the effective management of Alternaria disease in sweet cherry crops has presented a formidable challenge, resulting in notable decreases in yield. Various attempts have been made to employ both chemical and biological treatments; however, their effectiveness has been restricted. In order to tackle this problem, an investigation was carried out, with the primary objective of isolating and identifying Alternaria isolates that are accountable for the occurrence of sweet cherry soft spot rot. Out of the twelve isolates examined, the CHM-4 isolate was found to be the most pathogenic. Its identification was achieved through the use of the ITS genomic region (ITS1 and ITS4), and the BLAST results revealed a 95 % similarity with Alternaria alternata (MG744381.1). The objective of the research was to explore the potential of silver nanoparticles (SNPs) synthesized by phytosynthesis as a novel antifungal agent to combat sweet cherry soft spot pathogenicity. The biosynthesis of SNPs was carried out using sweet cherry fruits kernel exudate, which served as an environmentally friendly source. The exudates exhibited the ability to produce nanoparticles with an average size of 24.97 nm. Analysis conducted using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) revealed the multifaceted structure of these nanoparticles. Furthermore, when tested at concentrations of 5, 10, 20, and 40 μg/ml, these biosynthetic nanoparticles demonstrated the capability to inhibit the growth of Alternaria fungi and effectively destroy fungal hyphae. It is advisable to utilize diverse components of sweet cherry for the synthesis of various nanoparticles owing to their compatibility with the surrounding environment.

Genetic and Pomological Determination of the Trueness-to-Type of Sweet Cherry Cultivars in the German National Fruit Genebank

Genebank collections preserve many old cultivars with ancient breeding history. However, often, cultivars with synonymous or incorrect names are maintained in multiple collections. Therefore, pomological and genetic characterization is an essential prerequisite for confirming trueness-to-type of cultivars in gene bank collections. In our study, 1442 single sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) trees of the German Fruit Genebank were evaluated according to their trueness-to-type. For this purpose, pomological analysis was performed, in which the accessions were assigned totheir historical cultivar names. The pomological identifications were based on several historical reference sources, such as fruit references from historical cherry cultivar and fruit-stone collections, as well as historical pomological literature sources. In addition, the cherry trees were genetically analyzed for cultivar identity using 16 SSR markers. Based on pomological characterization and genetic analysis for the majority of the trees (86%), cultivar authenticity could be confirmed. Most markers were highly discriminating and powerful for cultivar identification. The cherry collection showed a high degree of genetic diversity, with an expected heterozygosity He = 0.67. Generally, high genetic admixture between cultivars of different geographic origin and year of origin was obtained after STRUCTURE analysis, demonstrating the extensive exchange of genetic information between cherry cultivars in the collection over time. However, the phylogenetic tree calculated by DARwin reflected the geographic origin of selected cherry cultivars. After parentage analysis with CERVUS, paternity could not be confirmed for three cultivars, indicating the necessity of further pedigree analysis for these cultivars. The results of our study underlined the general importance of evaluating the authenticity of cultivars in genebank collections based on genetic and pomological characterization.

Microsatellite DNA-markers in the study of the gene pool of fruit crops

This article describes development of multilocus SSR-markers sets for genotyping Pyrus, Prunus, and Malus from various genetic collections of the South of Russia. Generated multiplex sets of SSR-markers were used in the certification of cultivated varieties and in the analysis of the genetic structure of Pyrus, Prunus and Malus species collections. The results of SSR genotyping of pear, apple, plum and sweet cherry made it possible to establish genetic relationships between varieties, including groups of modern varieties of Russian and foreign breeding and, in turn, local autochthonous varieties. In general, the use of these multiplexes has confirmed their effectiveness in solving the assigned tasks.