Investigation of variability of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) using morphological traits and microsatellite markers

•There is a high potential for selecting accessions according to their ripening season, fruit size, and TSS/TA ratio.•A successful cross-species transferability of Prunus microsatellite is reported.•‘Tanasgol’ is clearly different from other cultivars.

In this study, 39 Iranian apricot cultivars and accessions were evaluated by means of 27 morphological traits and 10 microsatellite molecular markers. The results showed a wide variation in fruit quality attributes such as fruit weight, total soluble solids (TSS), and titratable acidity (TA). Most apricots had a relatively medium fruit size. There was a high correlation between fruit, pit, and kernel size, TSS, TA. Molecular data obtained from microsatellite markers revealed a total of 53 alleles, ranging from 3 to 8 alleles. The average of expected heterozygosity (He), observed heterozygosity (Ho), and polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.63, 0.52, and 0.56, respectively. UPGMA cluster analysis divided apricot cultivars into seven main groups.