Evaluation of genetic relationships of selected Ash trees for seed orchard formation at ‎Chamestan research station

The absence or lack of improved seeds with high genetic variety has long been one of the most major obstacles to forest regeneration and growth. In addition to supplying replicable seeds and excellent seedlings, seed orchard creation is critical in providing enough genetic variety for future research. In a forest covering around 100,000 hectares, 18 maternal trees were discovered in three groups. The DNA was extracted using a modified CTAB technique, and the polymerase chain reaction was carried out with SSR markers. The allelic features of amplified markers, as well as genetic indices, were determined using GenALEx software, and the similarity matrix of Jaccard coefficients, as well as the clustering of 18 chosen trees, were performed using the UPGMA technique and NTSYS software. Fragment amplification was done in 10 SSR markers based on the findings of vertical electrophoresis of PCR products from 15 pairs of SSR markers. In all, 57 polymorphism alleles were discovered in 18 chosen ash for 10 SSR markers, with the FE3 marker having the most (ten polymorphic alleles) and the FE5 marker having the fewest (two polymorphic alleles). Each SSR marker had an average of 5.7 polymorphic alleles. The clustering of 18 distinct trees using the UPGMA algorithm revealed that the chosen trees were divided into three major clades. The P1, P2, P3, P4, P8, P9, P10, P15, P17, and ultimately P18 plants can be utilized to build a seed orchard based on the results.