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Volume 12
Issue 2
10.3390/horticulturae12020182
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Determination of the Genetic Diversity of Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) Germplasm in the Canary Islands (Spain) Using Morphological and ISSR Molecular Markers

by
Lorenzo Rodríguez
1,
José Ignacio Hormaza
2,
Federico Laich
3,*,
Verónica Pérez
4,
María Guacimara Medina-Alonso
1 and
Domingo Ríos
1,5,6,*
1
Unidad de Desarrollo Rural, Servicio Técnico de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural del Cabildo Insular de Tenerife, C/Alcalde Mandillo Tejera 8, 34007 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
2
Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea La Mayora, (IHSM -CSIC-UMA), 29750 Algarrobo-Costa, Spain
3
Unidad de Protección Vegetal, Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias (ICIA), Ctra. El Boquerón s/n., 38270 Valle de Guerra, Spain
4
Jardín de Aclimatación de La Orotava, Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias (ICIA), C/Retama 2, 38400 Puerto de la Cruz, Spain
5
Centro de Conservación de la Biodiversidad Agrícola de Tenerife, Servicio Técnico de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural del Cabildo Insular de Tenerife, Calle Retama 2, 38400 Puerto de la Cruz, Spain
6
Departamento de Ingeniería Agraria y del Medio Natural, Universidad de La Laguna, Carretera de Geneto 2, 38071 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Horticulturae 2026, 12(2), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12020182
Submission received: 12 December 2025 / Revised: 26 January 2026 / Accepted: 29 January 2026 / Published: 31 January 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Developmental Physiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology)
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Abstract

In this study, we conducted a comprehensive characterization of avocado accessions from the Canary Islands, focusing on molecular, morphological, phenological, and agronomic traits. A total of 311 trees were initially prospected across Tenerife, La Palma, Gran Canaria, and La Gomera Islands. DNA was extracted from young leaves, and genetic diversity was assessed using 28 microsatelites primers, 14 of which were highly polymorphic, revealing 6937 amplified fragments, 137 of which were polymorphic. The average polymorphism percentage was 85.68%, with an expected heterozygosity of 0.68, indicating high genetic diversity. A dendrogram based on genetic data identified four main groups, two of which are closely related to the most widely cultivated avocado cultivars: ’Hass’, ’Fuerte’, and ’Pinkerton’. Morphological analysis (over three years), using 91 descriptors, revealed a clear differentiation between accessions, with several groups corresponding to specific commercial cultivars. Morphotypes that deviated from the main groupings were specimens obtained through sexual propagation. Principal component analysis revealed that fruit characteristics such as length-to-diameter ratio, seed size, and fruit weight were the most discriminating traits, consistent with findings in the Persea genus. These results highlight the genetic and morphological diversity within the Canary Islands avocado germplasm, providing valuable insights for future breeding and conservation efforts.
Keywords: avocado; Persea americana Miller; ISSR; genetic diversity; Canary Islands avocado; Persea americana Miller; ISSR; genetic diversity; Canary Islands
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MDPI and ACS Style

Rodríguez, L.; Hormaza, J.I.; Laich, F.; Pérez, V.; Medina-Alonso, M.G.; Ríos, D. Determination of the Genetic Diversity of Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) Germplasm in the Canary Islands (Spain) Using Morphological and ISSR Molecular Markers. Horticulturae 2026, 12, 182. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12020182

AMA Style

Rodríguez L, Hormaza JI, Laich F, Pérez V, Medina-Alonso MG, Ríos D. Determination of the Genetic Diversity of Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) Germplasm in the Canary Islands (Spain) Using Morphological and ISSR Molecular Markers. Horticulturae. 2026; 12(2):182. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12020182

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rodríguez, Lorenzo, José Ignacio Hormaza, Federico Laich, Verónica Pérez, María Guacimara Medina-Alonso, and Domingo Ríos. 2026. "Determination of the Genetic Diversity of Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) Germplasm in the Canary Islands (Spain) Using Morphological and ISSR Molecular Markers" Horticulturae 12, no. 2: 182. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12020182

APA Style

Rodríguez, L., Hormaza, J. I., Laich, F., Pérez, V., Medina-Alonso, M. G., & Ríos, D. (2026). Determination of the Genetic Diversity of Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) Germplasm in the Canary Islands (Spain) Using Morphological and ISSR Molecular Markers. Horticulturae, 12(2), 182. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12020182

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