Evaluation of Progeny Produced through Inter and Intra-Species Crossing between Iranian and European Asparagus (Asparagus spp.)

Inter and intra-specific crossing is a useful technique to introduce characteristics from wild plants to commercial cultivars of asparagus. In this research, Inter and intraspecific crosses between Iranian wild asparagus and European commercial asparagus was carried out at university of Cordoba (Spain) during 2015-2018. Specific allele for each parental species and accessions was detected with help of molecular markers. The genetic nature of hybrid plants was then confirmed by detecting of parental specific alleles in progeny. Thereafter, some of the most important morphological properties were evaluated in parental and progeny plants populations. Successful interspecific hybridization was obtained between Asparagus breslerianus and A. officinalis. Specific allele (1086 bp in length) was detected by TC6 primer in A. persicus. Morphological analysis showed that the highest coefficient of variation (CV %) was related to number of spear, main stem diameter, length of primary and secondary branches and number of cladode. The number of spear, number of secondary branch and number of cladode were higher in hybrids obtained by crossing between A. persicus × A. officinalis than parental plants. Diameter and height of main stem, number of primary branch, diameter and length of primary and secondary branches, width and length of spear scale, leaf diameter and internode length of primary and secondary branches played an important role to create morphological variability in parental and hybrid asparagus populations.