The research dealt with olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivars cultivated in the central and southern regions of Iraq by using the ISSR technique. It aimed to determine the degree of relatedness and draw the phylogenetic tree of the studied cultivars using nine primers. The study also used ISSR indicators in recognizing the relationships among the cultivars. The primers used gave 68 bands, showing the 56 formed had multiformats with an average of 82% for the multi-banding format. Moreover, the primers used succeeded in giving polymorphism among the resulting bandings, as the highest percentage of polymorphism reached 90% in the primers CT7CG, while the primer AG10G did not give more than 71.3% of polymorphism. It indicated that the highest percentage of similarity corresponding to the least genetic dimension (0.80) was between the two types—Shami and Qaisi, and Shami and Satakatrina—which were the most distant genotypes from the rest of the varieties. In conclusion, the study successfully utilized the ISSR technique to assess the genetic relationships among olive cultivars in central and southern Iraq. Hence, it provides useful information in understanding the genetic structure of olive cultivars in the region and could benefit as a guide for future breeding programs and the conservation of genetic resources programs.
Olive (O. europaea L.), cultivars, genetic structure, ISSR technique, phylogenetic tree, primers CT7CG, polymorphism
The ISSR technology effectively distinguished olive (O. europaea L.) genotypes and revealed their genetic relationship and the degree of genetic kinship between the genotypes.