Determination of genetic diversity in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum & Nakai) germplasms

Abstract

With 1.4 million tons of production, Turkey ranks second behind China in worldwide production of watermelon. Watermelon is grown at different times throughout the country with highest consumption during the summer and fall. Watermelon is an economically and socio-economically important crop throughout the country and especially in coastal regions where much of the cultivation occurs. In this research, 90 watermelon accessions collected from different regions of the world by the USDA were molecularly characterized using 40 SRAP marker combinations based on the UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method) and Neighbor Joining methods. According to this molecular analysis, genetic diversity between all watermelon accessions was very low. However, SRAP markers showed high polymorphism (97%) so these markers were determined to be suitable for studies of genetic diversity in crops like watermelon.