Allele segregation at SSR loci and allele traceability for hazelnut accessions (Corylus avellana L.) from landraces grown in the Latium Region (Italy)

Abstract

Allele differences at six SSR loci among accessions of hazelnut landraces cultivated in the Latium region in Italy (‘Tonda Gentile Romana’, ‘Tonda di Giffoni’ and ‘Nocchione’) were determined using: (a) full-sib (FS) progenies from either controlled pairwise pollination or open pollinations of those accessions, (b) DNA purification and SSR-PCR analysis from seeds of each offspring, (c) segregation analysis of SSR-amplicons, and (d) allele annotation to the segregating amplicon database. The polymorphic PCR fragments amplified at each SSR locus favoured parentage analysis, DNA fingerprinting of the parental accessions, traceability of hazelnut seed products, detection of associations to economically important seed traits, and inference on genetic systems affecting pollen tube growth.