Genome-Wide SNP discovery and genomic characterization in avocado (Persea americana Mill.)

Modern crop breeding is based on the use of genetically and phenotypically diverse plant material and, consequently, a proper understanding of population structure and genetic diversity is essential for the effective development of breeding programs. An example is avocado, a woody perennial fruit crop native to Mesoamerica with an increasing popularity worldwide. Despite its commercial success, there are important gaps in the molecular tools available to support on-going avocado breeding programs. In order to fill this gap, in this study, an avocado ‘Hass’ draft assembly was developed and used as reference to study 71 avocado accessions which represent the three traditionally recognized avocado horticultural races or subspecies (Mexican, Guatemalan and West Indian). An average of 5.72 M reads per individual and a total of 7,108 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were produced for the 71 accessions analyzed. These molecular markers were used in a study of genetic diversity and population structure. The results broadly separate the accessions studied according to their botanical race in four main groups: Mexican, Guatemalan, West Indian and an additional group of Guatemalan × Mexican hybrids. The high number of SNP markers developed in this study will be a useful genomic resource for the avocado community.