Using microsatellite markers to characterise the main Tunisian cultivars 'Chemlali' and 'Chétoui'

Twenty-eight accessions of the Tunisian olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivars 'Chemlali' and 'Chétoui' were screened using 11 microsatellite (SSR) primer pairs to evaluate within-cultivar variability, and to eliminate mis-labelling and redundancies before their introduction into the 'Borj Cedria' olive collection. Variations in microsatellite patterns were observed among accessions under the same denomination. Accessions designated 'Chemlali' showed three different microsatellite profiles, which differed at all loci analysed and should therefore correspond to three different varieties. However, real clonal or intra-cultivar variability was observed in one of the three varieties, as well as in the cultivar 'Chétoui', with differences between accessions at only one of the 11 loci screened. These results confirm the efficacy of microsatellite (SSR) markers for the classification and selection of olive accessions for germplasm collections.