Analysis of the genetic relationships among pollination-constant and non-astringent (PCNA) cultivars of persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) from Japan and China using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP)

Abstract

The genetic relationships among 19 pollination-constant and non-astringent (PCNA) cultivars and 14 non-PCNA cultivars of persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.), including one Chinese PCNA cultivar 'Luo Tian Tian Shi', were analyzed by comparing 138 AFLP markers. A phylogenetic tree constructed based on the similarity indices of these AFLP markers indicated a close relationship among Japanese PCNA cultivars, but a more distant relationship with the Chinese PCNA cultivar 'Luo Tian Tian Shi'. The close relationship between PCNA cultivars native to Gifu prefecture was distinct, indicating that these cultivars developed from crosses among restricted sources in this region. The cultivars 'Gosho', 'Hana-gosho', 'Oo-gosho', and 'Yamato-gosho' showed a close relationship with some non-PCNA cultivars.