Genetic diversity of early ripening breba accessions (Ficus carica L.) found in the “Pomona” Apulian collection

In order to study fig (Ficus carica L.) biodiversity in Southern Italy, a study was performed in a private Apulian collection, "I Giardini di Pomona", in which 350 different native and international cultivars were recovered in the last 15 years. This collection is located in middle part of Apulia region inside an area of great charm called "Valle D'Itria". In the region, fig is an important edible fruit tree species and it has been used for fresh fruit production, for centuries. Moreover, fig is considered as an important element of natural landscape and as significant cultural heritage. In this study, the Apulian breba cultivars, characterized by interesting agronomic traits, such as early ripening and fruit quality, were characterized by using morphological descriptors and microsatellite markers to unambiguously identify interesting genotypes. The genetic variability among different early ripening accessions located in the collection was investigated analyzing the polymorphism of 18 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The SSR analysis showed a large genetic diversity among early ripening accessions and it was observed a high morphological variability, not always revealed by microsatellite markers. Several genotypes not characterized yet were found and this information is useful for agronomical valorisation of native early ripening fig cultivars in both national and international markets. This research evidenced the richness of the available genetic resources in the "Pomona" collection and it increased knowledge on fig characterization, in order to identify fig genotypes with appreciated commercial characteristics and suitable for extending the ripening season.