Establishment of molecular markers for germplasm management in a worldwide provenance Ribes spp. collection

The variability of a Ribes spp. germplasm collection was characterized using molecular markers as a complementary strategy to traditional phenotyping approach to redefine the plant genetic resources within the Fondazione Edmund Mach (FEM) Ribes collection. With 91 accessions, the FEM Ribes spp. collection contains a major part of the European and some extra-European germplasm. Molecular markers were used for its characterization and to study possible genetic relationships between species and cultivars. A total of 138 blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.), six jostaberry (R. nigrum L. × nidigrolaria Bauer and Ribes nidigrolaria Bauer × nidigrolaria Bauer) and 147 red, white and pink currant (Ribes rubrum L., R. petraeum Wulf., R. longeracemosum Franch., R. multiflorum Kit.) clones belonging to the 91 accessions, were genotyped using ten simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Seventy-five of these accessions were evaluated using 17 phenological descriptors. The SSR characterization identified 87 unique multilocus genotypes (MLGs), allowing 96% of samples analyzed to be uniquely discriminated. Phenotypic and genetic diversity were related to the taxonomy and geographical origin of provenience. We demonstrated that a limited set of markers has proved highly informative for studying the diversity and relationships within our collection and to identify synonyms, homonyms and mislabeling. The knowledge derived from genotyping associated with phenological and agronomic traits will be the background for the development of marker-assisted breeding strategies for Ribes, to improve fruit quality and to expedite the process through which new cultivars are developed.