ChileanJAR

The genetic diversity of a Chilean Fragaria chiloensis collection (82 accessions collected between 34° and 48° S) was assessed with a genomic analysis technique known as RAPO. Out of 160 primers evaluated only 10% turned out to be informative, yielding a total of38 polymorphic bands. Band coincidence allowed the calculation ofrelative genetic similarity values, used to construct a dendrogram and a spatial multidimensional representation (MDS). Genetically diverse groups of Chilean strawberry accessions were not detected, although markers able to separate accessions based upon their geographic origin were identified. Furthermore, genotypes from the interspecific hybrid F. x ananassa formed a separate group (relative similarityvalue of 0.536 regarding F. chiloensis accessions), and sorne F. vesca accessions appeared even more divergent (similarity index of 0.125 regarding the F. x ananassa plus F. chiloensis group). Supporting evidence for the reduced genetic diversity observed in Chilean strawberry germplasm was obtained from using a heterologous ribosomal fragment as a RFLP probe which could not detect any difference between 13 genotypes.