**Genetic Diversity in Citrus**

Aydin Uzun1\* and Turgut Yesiloglu2

*1Erciyes University Department of Horticulture, Kayseri 2Cukurova University Department of Horticulture, Adana Turkey* 

### **1. Introduction**

212 Genetic Diversity in Plants

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Citrus is the most produced fruit in the world with over the 116 million tons of production (FAO, 2009). Besides, citrus is an extremely important crop on a world-wide basis, and is grown wherever the climate is suitable. It is widely grown in most areas with suitable climates tropical, subtropical, and borderline subtropical/temperate (Kahn et al., 2001).

The genus *Citrus* L. belongs to the subtribe Citrineae, the tribe Citreae within the subfamily Aurantioideae of the Rutaceae family (Webber, 1967). The Aurantioideae is one of seven subfamilies of Rutaceae which consists of two tribes and 33 genera. Each of tribes Clauseneae and Citreae is composed of three subtribes. Clauseneae includes Micromelinae, Clauseninae and Merrillinae, and Citreae has Triphasiinae, Citrinae and Balsamocitrinae. The Citrinae is distinct from all the other subtribes in the subfamily by having pulp vesicles in the fruit. This subtribe contains three groups; primitive citrus fruit, near citrus fruit, and true citrus fruit trees. True citrus fruits have six genera: Clymenia, Eremocitrus, Microcitrus, Poncirus, Fortunella and Citrus (Swingle & Reece, 1967).

Most of genus including Citrus belongs to subfamily Aurantioideae originated from Monsoon regions and expand from West Pakistan to China, India islands, Northwest Australia, New Guinea. In this subfamily, four of 33 genus (Afraegle, Aeglopsis, Balsamocitrus and Citropsis) native to tropical Africa an one genus (Clausena) native to Monsoon and tropical Africa. Besides, Microcitrus and Eremocitrus originated from Australia (Ulubelde, 1985).

Spreading citrus to other parts of the world goes back to B.C. The first species reached to Europe was citron. This species brought to Iran by Persian and then spreaded to Europe. Sour orange and lemon were brought to Europe by the Romans through trades in first and second century A.D. A mosaic tile floor found in a Roman villa at Carthage, probably of the second century A.D., shows recognizable branches of citron and fruit-bearing lemon trees. Although there is still no consensus on the definitive homeland of lemon, this species have been described and it's name pronounced as 'li-mung' in resources books writtened by Fan Ch'eng-Ta ve Chou K'ü-Fei in 1175 and 1178 A.D. By 1150 A.D. the Arabs had brought citron, sour orange, lemon and pummelo into North Africa and Spain.

<sup>\*</sup> Corresponding Author

In the written sources, sweet orange did not seem to had been widely cultivated until toward the middle of the fifteenth century. Portuguese succeeded in rounding Southern Africa soon brought better sweet oranges from India or Far East to Europe. By the beginning of the sixteenth century, there was abundant evidence showing that it had become well established and becomecommercially important in southern Europe. The mandarin, native to China was brought to Europe in 1805. Firstly it came to England and then spread to Malta, Scily and Italy. The pummelo or shaddock in its journey to Europe apparently followed about the same path as the sweet and sour oranges. It is notified that the seed of shaddock was first brought to Barbados by Captain Shaddock. The grapefruit, which probably originated as a mutation or sport from the shaddock, was first described under the name 'forbidden fruit' by Griffith Hughes in 1750 from Barbados. From Europe citrus spread to the New World firstly by Columbus in 1493 and then continued (Webber, 1967; Scora, 1975).

Citrus taxonomy and phylogeny are very complicated, controversial and confusing, mainly due to sexual compatibility between Citrus and related genera, the high frequency of bud mutations and the long history of cultivation and wide dispersion (Nicolosi et al., 2000). In addition, the level of difference in relation to species status in Citrus is uncertain. Citrus taxonomy was based on mainly morphological and geographical data in the past and many classification systems have been formulated. Two of these systems suggested by Swingle & Reece (1967) and Tanaka (1977) have been the most widely accepted. The number of recognized species is the major difference between two systems. Swingle recognized 16 species in the genus Citrus, whereas Tanaka (1977) recognized 162 species. Scora (1975) and Barrett & Rhodes (1976) suggested that there are only three 'basic' true species of Citrus within the subgenus Citrus as follow: citron (*C. medica* L.), mandarin (*C. reticulata* Blanco), and pummelo (*C. maxima* L. Osbeck). Later, Scora (1988) added *C. halimi* as another true species. Other cultivated species within Citrus were derived from hybridization between these true species or closely related genera followed, mainly, by natural mutations. Recently, this thesis has gained support from various biochemical and molecular studies (Federici et al., 1998; Nicolosi et al., 2000; Barkley et al., 2006; Uzun et al., 2009a). Elucidating relationships, taxonomy, and diversity is important for developing breeding strategies, conserving biodiversity, and improving breeding efficiency. Also understanding genetic variability in citrus is critical for characterizing germplasm, controlling genetic erosion and the registration of new cultivars (Herrero et al., 1996; Barkley et al., 2006).

Use of molecular markers has more advantages than that of morphologically based phenotypic characterization, because molecular markers are generally unaffected by external impact. It is possible to compare accessions of a collection at any time of year using molecular markers, while phenotypic characteristics can be influenced by environmental or cultural affects (The Citrus and Date Crop Germplasm Committee, USA,CDCGC, 2004). Regarding to germplasm management molecular characterization has a number of applications such as relationships between accessions, characterizing newly acquired germplasm, monitoring shifts in population genetic structure in heterogeneous germplasm, exploiting associations among traits of interest and genetic markers and genetic enhancement (Bretting and Widrlechner, 1995, as cited in The Citrus and Date Crop Germplasm Committee, USA, CDCGC, 2004).

In the written sources, sweet orange did not seem to had been widely cultivated until toward the middle of the fifteenth century. Portuguese succeeded in rounding Southern Africa soon brought better sweet oranges from India or Far East to Europe. By the beginning of the sixteenth century, there was abundant evidence showing that it had become well established and becomecommercially important in southern Europe. The mandarin, native to China was brought to Europe in 1805. Firstly it came to England and then spread to Malta, Scily and Italy. The pummelo or shaddock in its journey to Europe apparently followed about the same path as the sweet and sour oranges. It is notified that the seed of shaddock was first brought to Barbados by Captain Shaddock. The grapefruit, which probably originated as a mutation or sport from the shaddock, was first described under the name 'forbidden fruit' by Griffith Hughes in 1750 from Barbados. From Europe citrus spread to the New World firstly by Columbus in 1493 and then continued (Webber,

Citrus taxonomy and phylogeny are very complicated, controversial and confusing, mainly due to sexual compatibility between Citrus and related genera, the high frequency of bud mutations and the long history of cultivation and wide dispersion (Nicolosi et al., 2000). In addition, the level of difference in relation to species status in Citrus is uncertain. Citrus taxonomy was based on mainly morphological and geographical data in the past and many classification systems have been formulated. Two of these systems suggested by Swingle & Reece (1967) and Tanaka (1977) have been the most widely accepted. The number of recognized species is the major difference between two systems. Swingle recognized 16 species in the genus Citrus, whereas Tanaka (1977) recognized 162 species. Scora (1975) and Barrett & Rhodes (1976) suggested that there are only three 'basic' true species of Citrus within the subgenus Citrus as follow: citron (*C. medica* L.), mandarin (*C. reticulata* Blanco), and pummelo (*C. maxima* L. Osbeck). Later, Scora (1988) added *C. halimi* as another true species. Other cultivated species within Citrus were derived from hybridization between these true species or closely related genera followed, mainly, by natural mutations. Recently, this thesis has gained support from various biochemical and molecular studies (Federici et al., 1998; Nicolosi et al., 2000; Barkley et al., 2006; Uzun et al., 2009a). Elucidating relationships, taxonomy, and diversity is important for developing breeding strategies, conserving biodiversity, and improving breeding efficiency. Also understanding genetic variability in citrus is critical for characterizing germplasm, controlling genetic erosion and

the registration of new cultivars (Herrero et al., 1996; Barkley et al., 2006).

Germplasm Committee, USA, CDCGC, 2004).

Use of molecular markers has more advantages than that of morphologically based phenotypic characterization, because molecular markers are generally unaffected by external impact. It is possible to compare accessions of a collection at any time of year using molecular markers, while phenotypic characteristics can be influenced by environmental or cultural affects (The Citrus and Date Crop Germplasm Committee, USA,CDCGC, 2004). Regarding to germplasm management molecular characterization has a number of applications such as relationships between accessions, characterizing newly acquired germplasm, monitoring shifts in population genetic structure in heterogeneous germplasm, exploiting associations among traits of interest and genetic markers and genetic enhancement (Bretting and Widrlechner, 1995, as cited in The Citrus and Date Crop

1967; Scora, 1975).

In the present study, we summarized genetic variations and relatioships among citrus species and cultivars mostly cultivated. While preparing this, many studies were overrewieved to better explain citrus diversity. Better understanding genetic relation in citrus offer more opportunities to conservation and evaluation of genetic resources. It is also important for citrus researcher and breeders to arrange their future studies.
