Annals of Forest Science

, 74:15

Genetic monitoring of traditional chestnut orchards reveals a complex genetic structure

Original Paper

DOI: 10.1007/s13595-016-0610-1

Cite this article as:
Martín, M., Monedero, E. & Martín, L. Annals of Forest Science (2017) 74: 15. doi:10.1007/s13595-016-0610-1


Key message

This study presents the results of a systematic genetic analysis between wild and cultivated chestnuts in an orchard in southern Spain, highlighting a complex structure and considerable genetic diversity and opening the possibility to generalize this approach to other Mediterranean orchards.


Tree genetic monitoring offers a good opportunity to evaluate populations and preserve their long-term adaptive evolutionary potential. Chestnut is a multipurpose species of high economic importance in the Mediterranean basin and considered an example of integration between natural and man-driven distribution of diversity under changing environmental and historical conditions. Due to its multipurpose characteristics, man influenced its populations (grafting/sexual propagation) and a complex genetic structure is expected.


We monitored the trees of a chestnut orchard for studying the genetic diversity and relationship in grafts and rootstocks and detecting possible response in its adaptive potential.


For this, morphological traits and genomic and genic microsatellite markers were used.


Chestnut trees showed considerable genetic structure, with high level of clonality in the varieties and genetic diversity in rootstocks. The similarity analysis revealed a different clustering pattern for varieties, detecting higher variability for genomic microsatellite markers. Rootstocks harboured a high level of diversity, not previously described, and not contained in the genetic information from populations and varieties from the same region.


Results contribute to understanding the human role in the management of chestnut and demonstrate that rootstocks constitute an unexploited reservoir of variation valuable for conservation strategies against stress factors and future and unpredictable environmental changes.


Castanea sativa Genetic resources On farm conservation Clonality Rootstocks 

Supplementary material

13595_2016_610_MOESM1_ESM.pdf (93 kb)
ESM 1(PDF 92 kb)
13595_2016_610_MOESM2_ESM.pdf (92 kb)
ESM 2(PDF 92 kb)

Copyright information

© INRA and Springer-Verlag France 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Departamento de Ingeniería del Medio Agronómico y Forestal, Avda. Virgen del Puerto No. 2Centro Universitario de Plasencia, Universidad de ExtremaduraPlasenciaSpain
  2. 2.Departamento de Genética, E.T.S.I.A.M, Edificio Gregor Mendel, Campus de Rabanales, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario (ceiA3)Universidad de CórdobaCórdobaSpain