Genetic Analysis for Relationships between some Native Sour Cherry (Prunus cerasus l.) Using RAPD Markers Ioana Virginia BERINDEAN * , Alexandra Maria ITU University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Agriculture, 3-5 Calea Manastur St., 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania * corresponding author: ioana.berindean@usamvcluj.ro Abstract Prunus cerasus L. are an allotetraploid species from temperate climatic zone. The aim of this study was to characterize some native sour cherry genotypes from different orchards from Romania, based on RAPD markers. We used 14 primers RAPD to analyze a total of 14 varieties of sour cherries. After analysis, a good level of polymorphism was generated about only six primers (OPA 04, OPB10, OPA17, OPA20, OPA03 and OPB17) the rest of primers were considered monomorphic. The dendrograme separated the cultivars according to their genetic and geographic origin. The genetic similarity among the cultivars showed a good diversity between the genotypes, so we can suggest that our native cultivars of sour cherry can be considered as distinct genotypes for futures breeding programs and new cultivar identification. Results also confirm that the RAPD primers can be used for genetic studies and to evaluate the varieties for breeding programs. Keywords: breeding, conservation, markers, RAPD, sour cherry Introduction Sour cherries (Prunus cerasus L.) belong to the Rosaceae family, Prunoideae subfamily, and Prunus genus, is an allotetraploid species, 2n=4x=32, wich are commonly grown in the temperate climatic zone (Anna Lisek and Elżbieta Rozpara, 2009), originated from the area that comprises Asia Minor, Iran, Iraq, and Syria (Vavilov, 1951) resulting from a natural hybridization between Prunus avium L. and Prunus fruticose Pall. (Lezzoni et al., 1991). In our country, sour cherry reaches the northern limits (up to 60 o Latitude). In Romania the name for sour cherries is “vișina” similar with russian name ”vishnya” and also with Albanian name ”vyssine”, but different from hungarian name, which is called meggy (Faust and Surányi, 1997). De Candolle (1886) mention “so called Gypsy cherries are native in the Carpathian Basin” and also, he estimates the use of the name ”vyssine” before 600 B.C. The cultivated sour cherries “were selected from wild specimens of Prunus cerasus and suspiciously distinct Prunus acida from around the Black and Caspian Seas”. The sour cherry type is self-fertile but better crops are cross pollinated and in general, sour cherry it is a good pollinizer for other varieties (Imtiyaz et al., 2017). Sour cherries are particularly important tree species for fruit crops. The world production accounts for about 40% of sweet cherry and sour cherries together. Sour cherries are a rustic fruit species, for this reason it is meet between 40 o and 60 o northern latitudes and grow on all continents as isolated trees in orchards of different types. Fruits are used mainly for industrialization, but also for fresh consumption, as they have complex, balanced content and rich in nutrients, mineral salts and vitamins. Different varieties of Prunus cerasus (wild, traditional cultivars or domesticated species) can ”paving the way for creation of new genetic variability by employing different approaches such as exploration, passport data generation, introduction, conservation (in situ, ex situ, in vitro) Bulletin UASVM series Agriculture 76(1) / 2019 Print ISSN 1843-5246; Electronic ISSN 1843-5386 DOI:10.15835/buasvmcn-agr: 2019.0002