Genetic diversity and population structure of wild and cultivated apricots collected from Kyrgyzstan

Central Asia contains rich genetic resources for apricots. With its mountainous geography, Kyrgyzstan is the country where wild and cultivated apricot forms are preserved. The present study revealed genetic diversity and population structures in 91 apricot accessions from different regions of Kyrgyzstan. Fifteen simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers were used, capillary electrophoresis was performed, and the number of alleles per primer ranged from 4 to 11. A significant level of variation was determined among apricots originating from Kyrgyzstan. In the resulting dendrogram, all apricot accessions were divided into five groups, and the materials belonging to the northern and southern regions were grouped separately. At the same time, the population structure of apricots was analyzed. Accordingly, individuals have 0.80 or more membership coefficients; therefore, they are likely pure and non-admixed. There were 34 apricot accessions that have been determined as pure. The remaining 53 individuals had varying membership coefficients and were likely to be admixed by at least two subpopulations. This study is the most comprehensive research on Kyrgyzstan-origin apricots, providing vital information on their identification, preservation, and use in future research.