Genetic structure in cultivated and wild carrots (Daucus carota L.) revealed by AFLP analysis

Genetic variation within and among five Danish populations of wild carrot a nd five cultivated varieties was investigated using amplified fragment leng th polymorphism (AFLP). Ten AFLP primer combinations produced 116 polymorph ic bands. Based on the marker data an UPGMA-cluster analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) separated the Daucus collections into three groups , consisting of the wild populations, the old varieties, and the recently b red varieties. The genetic distance between the wild populations reflected the physical distance between collection sites. Analysis of genetic diversi ty showed that the old varieties released between 1974 and 1976 were more h eterogeneous than the newly developed F-1 hybrid varieties. The analysis of molecular variation (AMOVA) showed that the major part of the genetic vari ation in the plant material was found within populations/varieties. The pre sence of markers specific to the cultivated carrot makes it possible to det ect introgression from cultivated to wild types.