Evaluating the discriminatory ability and informativeness of DArTseq markers in a comprehensive set of contemporary European potato varieties

High-throughput molecular technology DArTseq generates markers for potential use in molecular breeding of crops. Using DArTseq, we analysed a comprehensive set of 333 European potato varieties reflecting the outcomes of long-term breeding history and representing a potential germplasm for future breeding of potatoes in the Central European region. The varieties were classified according to four factors: region of origin, breeder, earliness and utilisation mode, that may potentially reflect their genetic structure, and for which complete data were publicly available. The DArTseq analysis was performed by the service centre, the Diversity Array Technology (University of Canberra), which generated approximately 38 000 silicoDArT and 64 000 SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) polymorphic markers. The discriminatory ability of the markers in relation to the factors was confirmed using neighbour-joining and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), while the informativeness was assessed using the discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC). The analyses identified the 50 SNPs most strongly associated with each factor, along with their highly probable chromosomal localisation. Herein presented research contributes to the evaluation of potato genetic resources by adding the novel molecular data of active germplasm and implies their future utilisation in genome wide association studies and marker assisted selection.