Assessment of Genetic Diversity among Fig (Ficus carica L.) Cultivars in Sulaymaniyah Using SRAP Markers

Abstract

Fig (Ficus carica L.) is a fruit of significant importance worldwide and is considered an essential crop for commercial cultivation. This study investigates the genetic variability of the main fig cultivars in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan region of Iraq using Sequence-Related Amplified Polymorphism (SRAP) markers. Over the past decade, molecular markers have become powerful tools for DNA fingerprinting, germplasm characterization, and genetic diversity assessment. The objective of this study was to analyze the genetic fingerprinting of fig varieties using SRAP molecular markers. Ten SRAP primers combinations were applied to detect polymorphisms among the examined cultivars. The selected varieties were cultivated in the Sulaymaniyah governorate, and the experimental work was conducted at the Scientific Research Center, College of Science, University of Duhok.The binary matrix generated was analyzed using NTSYS-PC version 2.10 software to calculate similarity values and construct a phylogram for data interpretation. The highest genetic distance was observed between the Kola and Henzeer Rash cultivars (0.51102), while the lowest genetic distance was recorded between Henjeer Bonndoar and Bakra Joo (0.1157).Cluster (dendrogram) analysis revealed two main groups: the first consisting solely of Henzeer Rash, and the second further divided into two subgroups. The first subgroup comprised only Nejefee, while the second was split again into two clusters—the first including Kola and Galazard, and the second containing Zarda Roon, Henjeer Bonndoar, Bakra Joo, and Sheela.Overall, the results indicate that the analyzed fig cultivars represent a population with high genetic diversity and a broad range of genetic variation.