Fruit Quality Traits and Genotypic Characterization in a Pomegranate Ex Situ (Punica granatum L.) Collection in Greece

Pomegranate is one of the oldest known fruit crops, well adapted to hot and dry areas successfully grown in Mediterranean countries. During last two decades, numerous publications have revealed traditionally associations between pomegranate consumption health benefits, which led increased demand by consumers expansion cultivation areas. with diverse pedoclimatic conditions local cultivars could provide an essential source genes for breeding. In this study, phenotypic genetic variability, relationships, were studied 26 Greek foreign cultivars/accessions ex situ collection located Naoussa Greece, using Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) Start Codon Targeted (SCoT) molecular markers. Results from principal component analysis made on characters five components that accounted 74.8% total variance, first being related skin color parameters second juice antioxidant contents aril color. Clustering data allocated individuals into four clusters. A 184 bands generated all markers applied across cultivars/accessions, average 77 per ISSR 82 SCoT Low variability genotypic level was indicated; nevertheless, results association study traits obtained Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA) prove valuable marker-assisted breeding programs, especially found be strongly or averagely associated morphological chemical components.