European hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) is an economically and nutritionally important nut crop with wild and cultivated populations found throughout Europe and in parts of Asia. Turkey is the world's main hazelnut producer with 450,000 tons grown on 701,141 ha, accounting for 65% of world production.
In this study, 390 accessions from the Turkish national collection were analyzed for their genetic potential, and for their kernel and nut traits. Analyses yielded 407 polymorphic fragments from 30 SSR markers. Association mapping was performed with TASSEL software according to molecular and morphological data for 13 nut and 12 kernel traits which were observed for two consecutive years using 30 samples per accession. GLM (Q) analysis produced the most significant results and was chosen for further analysis. As a result, we found that 78 marker-trait associations were significant between the SSR markers and kernel/nut traits (p<0.01, r2>0.03). No SSR markers were identified for nut color, shape of the top, size of the basal scar, kernel shape, and kernel percentage.
Cultivars, landraces and wild material were compared separately in terms of their performance and breeding potential. The nut and kernel trait analyses of hazelnut accessions have revealed some of the impacts that human selection and breeding have had on these attributes in hazelnut. Moreover, correlations of traits were analysed and many significant correlations were found between kernel and nut traits.
This study provides molecular information for marker-assisted selection in hazelnut and gives new insights to discover the genetic potential of Turkish hazelnut germplasm.

Süleyman Can Öztürk won an ISHS student award for the best oral presentation at the IX International Congress on Hazelnut in Turkey in August 2017.

Süleyman Can Öztürk, Izmir Institute of Technology, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Gülbahçe, 35430 Izmir Urla, Turkey, e-mail: email@example.com

The full article is available in Chronica Horticulturae

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