Submitted to: American Society of Horticulture Science Meeting
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: May 26, 2006
Publication Date: September 20, 2006
Citation: Boches, P., Bassil, N.V., Rowland, L.J. 2006. Genetic diversity in the highbush blueberry evaluated with microsatellite markers. American Society of Horticulture Science Meeting. 131(5):674-686. Interpretive Summary: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Agricultural Research Service (ARS) - National Clonal Germplasm Repository (NCGR) in Corvallis, Oregon, preserves more than 1500 blueberry relatives, representing 68 species from 34 countries. In this study, we used 28 DNA markers to separate 69 unique blueberry varieties and to confirm duplicates. These markers grouped the genotypes into corresponding types: wild, northern, and southern types. A characteristic fingerprint for each variety was generated and is publicly available through the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) database at http://www.ars-grin.gov/npgs.These fingerprints can be used by the worldwide blueberry industry to confirm the identity of their blueberry varieties.
Technical Abstract: Sixty-nine accessions representing wild and domesticated highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum L.) germplasm were genotyped using 28 simple sequence repeats (SSRs). A total of 627 alleles was detected and generated unique fingerprints for all accessions. Duplicates of Coville and Ivanhoe obtained by different collectors and maintained as separate inventories were verified. Genetic similarity measures placed wild and cultivated blueberries in separate groups. Domesticated blueberries of the southern highbush type formed a separate group from the northern highbush type. Northern highbush accessions grouped among ancestral clones that were used extensively in blueberry breeding such as Rubel and Stanley. These microsatellite markers show excellent promise for further use in germplasm identification, for genetic studies of wild Vaccinium populations, and constructing linkage maps.