ISHS Acta Horticulturae 586: IV International Symposium on Olive Growing
ESTABLISHING A DATABASE OF DNA FINGERPRINTS TO IDENTIFY OLIVE CULTIVARS |
| Authors: | G. Collins, M. Sedgley, G. Mekuria |
| Keywords: | olive, genetic similarity, DNA fingerprint |
| Abstract:
Olives were first introduced to South Australia in 1836 but the industry has not prospered for various reasons. Over the years, records concerning the names of many cultivars have been lost or misplaced and the names of many cultivars which were imported are now no longer used by the industry. This has created a considerable degree of uncertainty about the names of many cultivars being grown in this country. To overcome the problem of identification, we have established a database of DNA fingerprints produced from leaves of numerous olive accessions obtained both from within Australia and overseas. This database is used to compare the DNA fingerprints obtained from leaves of trees sent to us on a fee basis by growers as well as to determine the level of genetic diversity between both commercial and feral cultivars. We have found that some cultivars, such as Manzanillo and Kalamata, show a high level of genetic similarity regardless of source while others, such as Verdale, show considerable genetic variability. Nevadillo and Picual are sometimes considered to be a synonym for the same cultivar, but our experience indicates that they are probably separate cultivars. On the other hand, Corregiola and Frantoio and their synonyms show a high degree of genetic similarity. A major collection of 100 commercial olive cultivars is being established near Adelaide in South Australia and the identity of each cultivar is being determined by comparison of the DNA fingerprints with our genetic database. | |
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