GENETIC DIVERSITY OF CITRUS GERMPLASM COLLECTION OF WESTERN CAUCASUS

The collection of citrus crops in the Western Caucasus is one of the most northern collections of these crops in the world and includes a number of frostresistant genotypes acclimatized in the region. Currently, it consists of more than 200 different species and cultivars, but their taxonomic affiliation, population structure and genetic diversity have not been analyzed. In our study, the genotyping of 130 samples of the basic collection of citrus fruits from FRC SSC of RAS, including 24 species and interspecific hybrids, has been carried out using 13 microsatellite and 13 chloroplaste DNA markers. Effective molecular markers for genotyping citrus crops have been established. The genetic distances in the collection have been identified and the taxonomic affiliation of the genotypes has been clarified. The obtained results will become an important basis for strategies for the conservation of gene resources, as well as to develop new selection programs and improve the efficiency of selection.