GENETIC DIVERSITY IN WALNUT (JUGLANS REGIA) FROM THE CAUCASUS NATION OF AZERBAIJAN

Analysis of genetic structure and differentiation using 12 microsatellite loci of six walnut populations, three each from the Greater Caucasus and the Talysh, revealed a moderate range of variation. The observed number of alleles ranged from 2 to 11 alleles with a mean of 5.6 alleles per locus. The populations differed significantly for the frequency and composition of alleles for ten out of twelve loci assayed, and the mean number of alleles per locus ranged from 4.0 to 4.6 with approximately 92% of the loci polymorphic. The mean observed and expected heterozygosity for different populations indicated that the populations conformed to Panmixia. The mean F_ST value indicates a significant departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, suggesting that there was significant differentiation among populations. The cluster analysis based on population pair-wise Nei’s unbiased genetic distances and the distance Wagner tree indicated that the Talysh populations are significantly different from and placed as a sister group to the Caucasus populations.