Characterization of the genetic diversity in Passiflora spp. in the Boyacá department, Colombia

Abstract

Passiflora is a group of species of economic importance in Colombia because of their productive potential and nutritional, pharmaceutical and industrial properties; therefore, it is necessary to study the genetic diversity of the species cultivated in principal productive departments, such as Boyacá. The use of molecular markers has become a fundamental tool for germplasm characterization, which effectively complements morphological and agronomic information. This research aimed to characterize the genetic diversity of Passiflora spp. grown in the Department of Boyacá using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. The eight ISSRs generated a total 138 bands with molecular weights between 250 and 1350 kb. With a similarity coefficient of 0.60, seven groups were formed, showing lax distribution of the individuals. The percentage of polymorphic loci was between 56% (TG) and 90% (AG). The average value of heterozygosity was 0.56 with a genetic differentiation coefficient (FST) of 0.16, which indicated great genetic diversity but without a defined population structure. The AMOVA showed that 64% of the observed genetic variation was due to the component within the groups. The results suggested levels of hierarchy and subdivision finer than those considered in this study, in addition to a complementary morphoagronomic characterization that established the total genetic diversity, which can be used to implement a breeding program for more productive cultivars that are resistant to the principal phytosanitary problems.