| Abstract: | Genetic diversity of 206 cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.) cultivars representing the major regions of production was determined from an analysis of 23 isozyme loci. Gene diversity in cherimoya was high, although not equally distributed among countries. Peru and Ecuador, the countries of origin of this species, showed the greatest diversity, and Spain and Madeira (Portugal) showed the least, probably due to genetics bottlenecks resulting from limited introduction. Cultivars from California showed high values for several genetic diversity measures, likely due to their diverse origins. The expansion of cherimoya cultivation out the area of origin has produced a change in the apportionment of genetic diversity, with an increase in the inter-populational components, but likely without a general erosion overall. |
