Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
GENETIC RESOURCES AND CROP EVOLUTION AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, cilt.73, sa.8, ss.1-15, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Developing resilient cultivars with improved tolerance to environmental stresses and stronger resistance to pests and diseases requires pre-breeding efforts focused on understanding genetic diversity. In the present study, 85 alfalfa genotypes were analyzed using sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers. A total of 112 alleles were amplified across 10 SRAP primer combinations, with the number of alleles per primer ranging from 7 to 19. The mean polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.295, indicating a moderate level of marker informativeness. Genetic diversity parameters, including Nei’s gene diversity (He = 0.27) and Shannon’s information index (I = 0.42), revealed moderate to high levels of genetic variation among the accessions. Cluster analysis based on Dice’s similarity coefficients and the unweighted pair Group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) grouped the genotypes into two main clusters. This clustering pattern was further corroborated by principal component analysis (PCA), which showed a clear genetic differentiation among individuals. Bayesian population structure analysis conducted using STRUCTURE software identified K = 2 as the most likely number of genetic subpopulations, as determined by the Delta K method. Most genotypes displayed high membership coefficients (Q ≥ 0.80), suggesting a high degree of genetic homogeneity within subpopulations. Subpopulation B exhibited greater genetic diversity (He = 0.2612) and lower genetic differentiation (FST = 0.2443), whereas subpopulation A appeared more genetically distinct (FST = 0.3952). These results demonstrate the effectiveness of SRAP markers in resolving genetic structure in alfalfa and underscore their utility in identifying genetically diverse and distinct individuals for breeding purposes. Moreover, the absence of clear geographic structuring among the genotypes suggests substantial gene flow across collection sites. This study emphasizes the value of molecular characterization in guiding the selection of parental lines and enhancing germplasm conservation efforts for the improvement of alfalfa cultivars.