GENETIC DIVERSITY OF PISTACHIO (PISTACIA-VERA, ANACARDIACEAE) GERMPLASM BASED ON RANDOMLY AMPLIFIED POLYMORPHIC DNA (RAPD) MARKERS

We used Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers to examine p atterns of relatedness among 29 pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) cultivars and accessions. These included 13 cultivars that we had previously de scribed, and an additional 16 items from the USDA National Clonal Germ plasm Repository/Davis comprising cultivars and land races originating further east of the cultivars described previously, and material from wild P. vera stands in or near the putative center of origin for pist achio in South Central Asia. The results show high levels of polymorph ism in the species emphasizing the importance of preservation of the r emaining wild stands of P. vera. Analyses support the concept that cul tivars in use west of the Zagros-Caucasus ranges likely originate from a limited germplasm base. The newly examined cultivated material show s greater genetic diversity, consistent with the hypothesis that pista chio cultivation originated in or near South Central Asia. Results als o indicate that for as least two cases, material identified differentl y in two collections are the same clones, thus illustrating the value of molecular marker techniques is describing and maintaining germplasm collections for clonally propagated species.