RAPD Analysis for Sex Determination in Pistacia vera L.

Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis of Pistacia vera L. was used to distinguishing sex type in progeny plants. Varied genotypes of the pistachio were analyzed by PCR amplification of a ten base primer previously found to be linked to the expression of a 945bp amplification band in female trees and its absence in males. Results revealed that genetic material from cultivar samples amplified well with relative primer, but some male progeny produced the 945bp band when amplified with the 10bp primer. Despite numerous subsequent tests for reamplification of the DNA, unfortunately, these male progeny failed to give reproducible results from its sample. None the less, presence of the 945bp amplification band in a male sample proved that an error rate of 15% is possible in sex determination of P. vera by RAPD analysis with the 10bp primer.