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Wild cherry (Prunus avium L, syn. Cerasus avium L. Moench.) is a widely spread forest tree that has ecological and economical importance. However, the genetic diversity of this species is threatened for many reasons. Therefore, a breeding and conservation program should be established in order to minimise the loss of genetic diversity. In this study, we aimed to understand the genetic structure of 440 individual wild cherries sampled from 22 different populations in Turkey using 10 SSR molecular markers. With the molecular variance analysis, we found that the genetic diversity within the population is approximately 88.5% and the genetic diversity among the populations is approximately 9.8%. Thus, wild cherry genetic diversity within populations is high whereas it is moderate between tested populations (FST values 0.02-0.16). Phylogeny, principal component, and genetic STRUCTURE analysis showed that populations are divided according to their geographical locations. Moreover, Veliköy and Kemerköprü populations that are located at higher altitudes, Macara population which is the closest sample to Europe, and the Tota population that is sampled from the Mediterranean Region; were found genetically different from the others. Hence, we suggest in-situ conservation to Veliköy, Kemerköprü, Macara, and Tota populations. Our results will contribute to in-situ and ex-situ conservation and breeding programmes to conserve genetic resources of the wild cherries in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L. syn. Cerasus avium Moench.) in natural woodlands of Latvia was studied. The growth, vitality and stem quality of the first-generation plantations established in Latvia in different agricultural soils using the planting stock of local origin was assessed. In woodlands, sweet cherry is found in 11 Forest Resource Monitoring plots in the administrative regions of Madona, Kuldīga, Alsunga, Saldus, Cīrava, and Kazdanga. In the last decade, interest in sweet cherry as a wood producer has increased and plantations with a total area of 21.92 ha were established in 22 localities (Priekule, Kazdanga, Durbe, Talsi, Ventspils, Kuldīga, Tukums, Saldus, Dobele, Bauska, Cēsis, Pārgauja, and Krāslava). Survey was made of sweet cherry plantations established between 1997 and 2019, using both local and foreign origin clonal stock (Danish clone Truust and Swedish clones nos. 9 and 10) in different agricultural soils (typic sod-calcareous soil; sod-podzolic soil; stagnogley sod-podzolic soil) in the districts of Priekule, Kuldīga, Dobele, Bauska, Ķegums, and Smiltene. In plantation forests with optimal growing conditions (typical sod-calcareous soil; pH 6 to 7), 22-year-old sweet cherries of local origin had height (H) of 15.1 m, the diameter at breast hight (DBH) — 16.4 cm and stem volume 157.7 dm3 on average. The maximum H and DBH observed for the largest trees reached 17.6 m and 25.3 cm, respectively. The Danish clone Truust and the Swedish clones nos. 9 and 10 of sweet cherries were promising for growing in Latvian climatic conditions. Selection of perspective clones for establishment of second-generation plantations was made for sweet cherries of local origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was to investigate the impact of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on the morphological and developmental characteristics of wild cherry (Prunus avium) and common dogwood (Cornus sanguinea). The LEDs used were L20AP67 (moderate blue, red and far-red, high green), AP673L (moderate blue, high red), G2 (low blue, high red and far-red), AP67 (moderate blue, red and far-red), and NS1 (high blue and green, low red, high red:far-red, 1% ultraviolet). Fluorescent light [FL (high blue and green, low red)] tubes served as the control treatment. The growth rate and subsequently the shoot height of Cornus sanguinea were greater under FL. Root length of Prunus avium was longer under NS1. Prunus avium produced more biomass under NS1 and AP67, while Cornus sanguinea was favored under G2 and AP67. Greater root:shoot ratio was found under NS1 for Prunus avium and under NS1, AP67, G2, and AP673L for Cornus sanguinea. Root growth capacity (RGC) was also assessed in order to evaluate the transplanting response. RGC of Prunus avium and Cornus sanguinea was favored after precultivation under G2 and AP67, and under NS1 and AP67, respectively. Our study demonstrated that LEDs were more efficient in promoting a number of morphological characteristics than conventional FL in Prunus avium and Cornus sanguinea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of conspecific wild-type and cultivar populations has been a common landscape feature for centuries. As orchards generally continue to expand towards the natural forest, two important issues are raised: the potential reduction of cultivar genetic diversity compared to wild populations and the extent of gene flow between the two population types. These questions were addressed in a study ofPrunus aviumin northern Greece using nine simple sequence repeat loci to analyse genetic variation in 93 wild-type individuals and 21 cultivars representing the local cultivated germplasm. Results showed a significant reduction of genetic diversity parameters in the cultivated germplasm compared to natural populations. Bayesian, frequency-based and Markov chain – Monte Carlo analyses have revealed that the wild and cultivar groups are genetically divergent and that realized between-group gene flow is almost completely absent. This result was further verified by a principal component analysis showing a clear separation of the two groups in low multivariate space after a principal coordinate analysis. The significant disjunction in flowering time and a considerable geographic distance between the two groups could primarily account for the absence of substantial gene flow. These findings indicate that local wild cherry can provide a source of genetic variation for future breeding in the genetically restricted cultivar group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat treatment effects on surface properties of wild cherry (Prunus avium) including surface roughness, glossiness, and color stability were evaluated. Samples were exposed to a temperature of 212 °C for 1.5 and 2.5 h. A stylus type profilometer, glossmeter, and spectrophotometer were employed to determine surface characteristics of heat-treated specimens. Glossiness and surface roughness values of the samples decreased with heat treatment compared to those of control specimens. The glossiness and values of surface roughness decreased for the samples with all treatment combinations. The samples had significant discoloration as a result of heat exposure. Color difference of the specimens increased as a result of all treatment schedules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A basic knowledge on linkage disequilibrium (LD) is necessary in order to determine resolution of association studies. We investigated the extent and patterns of LD in a self-incompatible species ( Prunus avium L.), in 3 groups (wild cherry, sweet cherry landraces and sweet cherry modern varieties), using a set of 35 microsatellite markers and the gametophytic self-incompatibility locus. Since population structure might create spurious LD, we thus used the information provided by a structure analysis published in a previous study to perform the LD analysis. In the current study, we detected a greater LD extent in sweet cherry than in wild cherry, which is plausibly due to the bottleneck associated with domestication and breeding. Higher LD values in sweet cherry sub-groups may be explained by smaller sample sizes. We also showed that the remaining structure in the groups of sweet cherry, in particular landraces, is responsible for a part of the LD extent. Intra-group relatedness may also account for extensive LD in two sub-groups. These results demonstrate, if ever necessary, the importance of controlling the genetic structure and relatedness when estimating LD. Moreover, LD decays very rapidly with genetic linkage distance in both wild and sweet cherries, which seems promising for future association studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of monitoring long-standing habit genotypes of wild cherry (Prunus avium L.) from natural populations from localities Zivinice, Tuzla, Banovici and Kladanj. Habitus has special value in assessing the biological potential of the aforementioned taxa. It reflects the degree of fruit trees growing activity, biological predisposition for fruiting, resistance to various abiotic and biotic conditions of the external environment. This study shows very pronounced trends in the evolution and infraspecific differentiation of this kind, which goes towards the creation of new shapes and forms, some of which may have a separate taxonomic status. Some of registrated individuals show great potential in acquiring new lines in the field of agriculture, horticulture and biotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the determination of the thickness of the bark to wild cherry. To achieve these characteristics is analyzed to determine the double thickness of the shell at a large number of copies of diameter classes. In conclusion, we have reached the regression equation for a double thickness of the bark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed dormancy and dormancy cycling are poorly understood at the molecular level, but are central to plant community development. This study focuses on the embryonic axes of deeply dormant seeds of Prunus avium (wild cherry). Rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), differential display and quantitative PCR were used to recover and monitor expression of cDNAs. cDNAs similar to two dormancy-imposing genes were isolated; a serine/threonine protein-phosphatase 2C homologous to ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 1 and 2 (Pa-PP2C1), and the transcription factor ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 3 (Pa-ABI3). Two germination-associated cDNAs were recovered; aconitase (Pa-AC01) and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit 8 (Pa-elF3 SUBUNIT 8). Cold-treatment reduced expression of Pa-PP2C1 and Pa-ABI3, consistent with roles in establishing primary dormancy; neither was induced by imposition of secondary dormancy. Expression of these genes was distinct from expression of Pa-ACO1 and Pa-elF3-SUBUNIT 8. Results were consistent with a role for ABI1/ABI2 and ABI3 homologues in primary dormancy of P. avium embryonic axes, but not secondary dormancy as control of germination appeared overridden by the tissues surrounding the embryo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A population genetic study of chloroplast DNA was carried out in 23 wild populations of Prunus avium sampled from several European deciduous forests. An analysis of approx. 9% of the chloroplast genome detected mostly insertion–deletion mutations and one point mutation. In all, 16 haplotypes were detected. Six haplotypes were shared by two or more populations and 10 were unique. One haplotype was present in 21 of the 23 populations and 161 of 211 individuals, which probably indicates its ancient origin. The level of population subdivision, using unordered and ordered alleles, was low, GSTC=0.29 and NSTC=0.33, respectively. The difference between GSTC and NSTC is nonsignificant, indicating an absence of correlation between haplotype phylogeny and geographical distribution. The absence of phylogeographic structure in wild cherry may be attributed to long distance gene flow among populations by birds, animals and anthropogenic activities. The minimum-length spanning tree depicting the phylogenetic relationships between the haplotypes indicates the possible existence of two lineages represented by the haplotypes H3 and H4. The information about homogeneity or heterogeneity of populations in terms of haplotype constitution and detection of rare haplotypes in some populations will be useful for formulation of conservation and management strategies of wild cherry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present research analyze the wild cherry growth in height, by category of diameters, from 20 to 70 centimetres, in the conditions in which wild cherry is found only in mixed forests. It was determined that at big diameters the heights of wild cherry can reach, frequently, values of 30-33 meters. The conclusion is that, in the situation of the wild cherry, this height growth is affected by the arrangement of species in the composition of the forests but also by the stationery conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primers were developed for 14 microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci identified from a Prunus avium‘Charger’ genomic DNA library. In a survey of 16 wild cherry accessions 10 of the loci revealed polymorphisms of between two and six alleles. The remaining loci were found to be monomorphic. Seven polymorphic loci identified in this study and four polymorphic loci previously reported in sweet cherry were mapped and found to be unlinked. Two multiplex polymerase chain reactions (PCR) were optimized to enable the characterization of all 11 unlinked, polymorphic SSR loci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Chloroplast DNA variation in 96 Prunus avium L. cultivars was assessed and compared with the results of a previous study of cpDNA diversity in 23 wild populations of the species. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used in these studies. Approximately 9% of the chloroplast genome was analyzed, using five universal primer pairs and three restriction enzymes. Ten polymorphic fragments were common to both the wild and sweet cherry; eight polymorphic fragments were found only in the wild cherry. In the cultivars, all mutations were small (5–30 bp) indels. In the wild populations, a point mutation was also detected in addition to indels. The mutational combinations revealed three haplotypes in the cultivars, which are the main haplotypes in the wild cherry populations. Chloroplast DNA diversity in wild cherry is higher (16 haplotypes) than in sweet cherry cultivars (three haplotypes). The probable wild origin of the sweet cherry cultivars in the maternal line, on the basis of haplotypic similarity, was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]