Classification of apricot varieties by RAPD analysis

Abstract

We carried out RAPD analysis for classifying apricot cultivars and related species, such as P. sibirica L. and P. brigantina Vill. For this purpose, 225 Operon primers were screened by using five representative varieties and 18 primers which provide plural polymorphisms. Using these primers, 33 varieties of P. armeniaca L. and two related species were tested for RAPD, then classified by cluster analysis and quantification method of the third type, based on the absence or presence of corresponding bands. The apricots were classified into two large groups by both analyses; 'Western group' (A) and 'Eastern group' (B). However, P. sibirica and P. brigantina, which are related to P. armeniaca, and two Chinese varieties, 'Bai-xing' and 'Ren-xing', did not belong to these two groups. Since RAPDs among Chinese apricots were very diverse, they were placed into both groups A and B. All Japanese apricots were classified into group B. Considering that Chinese apricots have large variations, we hypothesize that Chinese apricots may be the ancestors of Eastern and Western apricots.