Genetic Characterization of Domestic Apple Varieties from Tuzla Canton, BiH

Aims: The basic precondition for apple breeding is the genetic diversity of varieties, which implies a large number of different, positive genes that enable adaptation to different weather conditions, resistance to new diseases and pests. One of the reliable sources of genetic diversity are indigenous varieties of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Their genetic identification is the first step in a process that has as its ultimate goal the collection of genetic material. The main goal of this research is to analyze the genetic variability of five indigenous varieties of apple in Tuzla Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina in terms of contributing to the management of conservation and expansion of existing genetic resources, spreading this material through registered nurseries.

Study Design: The research included fiveautochthonous apple varieties: "Ovčji nos“ “Dobrić“, "Šarenika“, "Rančica“ and "Petrovača“.

Place and Duration of Study: Samples of young leaves were collected at the site of Donji Moranjci, City of Srebrenik,Tuzla Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina in the spring of 2019.

Methodology: In order to determine the genetic diversity of five indigenous apple varieties were genotyped ten SSR(Simple Sequence Repeats) markers.

Results: No cases of synonyms or homonyms were found within the analyzed set.The results of the study indicate a pronounced differentiation, ie all five examined varieties represent unique genotypes.

Conclusion: The examined sets of genotypes possess significant genetic variability, which is important especially when we consider that a relatively small number of samples have been analyzed.