A RESTRICTION-FRAGMENT-LENGTH-POLYMORPHISM PROBE FOR EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF GENDER IN ASPARAGUS-OFFICINALIS

The use of a sex-linked molecular marker for early sex diagnosis in th e dioecious species Asparagus officinalis L. was evaluated. Screening of random genomic probes as a part of a restriction fragment length po lymorphism mapping project resulted in the identification of a sex-lin ked (6.9 cM) marker. The usefulness of this molecular tool was compare d to morphological markers for prediction of gender in several genotyp es. The level of polymorphism detected by this probe was high, and the level of incorrect sex attribution, as determined by this method, was low (approximate to 7%).