S02 - Session O2 - Genetic assessment of the semi-neutral carob germplasm in Lebanon

Authors: Mohamad Ali El Chami *, Francisco Ruiz-Gomez, Guillermo Palacios-Rodriguez

In this study, we aim to assess the germplasm of the semi-neutral carob trees ( Ceratonia siliqua L.) growing in Lebanon and to understand the genetic variability of the Lebanese carob populations. A set of nine EST-SSR markers previously developed for other species were selected for this study. Results showed that these markers were sufficiently polymorphic and allowed to uniquely identify all genotypes studied. A great variability was found among and within carob populations in Lebanon, with at least nine patterns of which four are geographically dependent and five that are repeated over the different areas in Lebanon. These findings suggest that Lebanon contains a valuable carob germplasm that deserve to be investigated more in depth using multi-omics analysis to better understand its performance through time and to valorize it in selection program.