Validation of a Simple Molecular Method for Assessment of Clonal Heterogeneity in Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa A. Chev.)

Aims: The industry of the green fleshed kiwifruit over the world is based on the cultivar Hayward due to outstanding characteristics of its fruits. Mutations and improper labeling of introduced plants could give rise to clonal heterogeneity within kiwifruit cultivars. Therefore, the objective is to validate a simple molecular approach to evaluate the clonal purity of cultivar Hayward in micropropagation laboratories and nurseries.

Study Design: Molecular analysis of the genetic variability within cultivar.

Place and Duration of Study: Biotechnology Laboratory at the Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata – Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Argentina, 2013.

Methodology: Genomic DNA of four introductions and clone 8 of cultivar Hayward was amplified with randomly amplified polymorphic DNA markers. Cluster and principal coordinates analyses were performed.

Results: The analyses revealed that all introductions were genetically different from each other.

Conclusion: Small genetic differences within cultivars could be detected by this simple molecular approach when it is performed under well-controlled experimental conditions in each micropropagation laboratory or nursery.