Molecular Characterization and Genetic Structure Evaluation of Breeding Populations of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.)

Fennel, or Foeniculum vulgare Mill., is an important horticultural crop belonging to the Apiaceae family that cultivated worldwide and used in agri-food sector for pharmaceutical preparations. Breeding strategies this species usually involve three parental lines, including two maternal lines (one cytoplasmic male-sterile line ideotype representative maintainer line) are crossed obtain of one paternal line, as a pollinator crosses with progeny derived lines. From cross, F1 hybrid progenies obtained, which characterized by high levels heterozygosity vigor. In study, over 450 plants, representing 8 breeding populations their respective 3 1 were genotyped means codominant molecular markers. The 12 highly polymorphic microsatellites enabled analyses genetic variability, distinctiveness stability each line. Moreover, structure core collection was investigated, which, together homozygosity, gene flow similarity results, allowed identification unsuitable be plans due low homozygosity (10.4% population 7). Bayesian reconstruction collection’s structure, based on markers used, us confirm results obtained from investigation computed estimates. Among these, trend also observed, increased when between decreased. Thus, research proposes suitable method genotyping fennel pre- post-breeding approaches, such marker-assisted verifications.