Valutazione della diversità genetica di 48 varietà di gelso (Morus L.) tramite l'impiego di marcatori AFLP

Mulberry belongs to the genus Morus L., a taxonomic group showing great genetic variability and adaptability to different environmental conditions, and representing an economically relevant crop for sericultural industry. Despite its importance, information on the origin and domestication of mulberry genotypes is scanty. Recent findings indicate that most of the mulberry cultivars are naturalized because they have been established, adapted and persisted in areas far away from their origin, making their classification when based solely on morpho-phenological traits very difficult and unreliable. This study deals with the use of AFLP-based fingerprints as a tool for estimating genetic variability within as well as among three different mulberry species (i.e. M. alba, M. latifolia and M. bombycis). Results concerning Nei’s genetic diversity and Dice’s similarity statistics are reported and discussed.