UTILIZATION OF DNA MARKERS BASED ON MICROSATELLITE POLYMORPHISM FOR IDENTIFICATION OF POTATO VARIETIES CULTIVATED IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Abstract

In the year 2007, there were one hundred and seventy-eight potato varieties enlisted in the Czech list of registered
potato varieties. The classical morphometric approach to characterization is not effective for such a number of varieties
especially for identification at the level of tubers. The needfulness of variety identification at the level of tubers is
important mainly for trade aspect. The Czech law no.110/1997 Sb. about the food-stuff and tobacco products and the
consequential ordinance (MZe č. 332 / 1997 Sb.) require guarantee of variety declaration in commercial relation for
table potato.
In this study we analyzed twenty potato varieties (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivated in the Czech Republic. Every
variety was represented by four independent replicates. This set of samples was analyzed by methods of PCR-SSR
(Simple Sequence Repeats) and PCR-ISSR (Inter Simple Sequence Repeats). We discovered that both of tested
methods afford sufficient polymorphism for variety identification, but the method of PCR-ISSR is not utilizable,
because we observed the variability within variety. For outright identification of the whole set of potato varieties
cultivated in the Czech Republic we recommend to use SSR, AFLP and retrotransposene-based markers as well as
morphological markers.