International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.3, 105-112 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 105 Meta Analysis Open Access Genetic Diversity and Trait Discovery in Pineapple Germplasm: A Meta-Analysis Approach Mengting Luo 1,2 , Zhonggang Li 1 1 Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China 2 Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Sanya, 572000, Hainan, China Corresponding author: mengting.luo@jicat.org International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.3 doi: 10.5376/ijh.2025.15.0012 Received: 20 Mar., 2025 Accepted: 22 Apr., 2025 Published: 25 May, 2025 Copyright © 2025 Luo and Li, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Luo M.T., and Li Z.G., 2025, Genetic diversity and trait discovery in pineapple germplasm: a meta-analysis approach, International Journal of Horticulture, 15(3): 105-112 (doi: 10.5376/ijh.2025.15.0012) Abstract In this study, we used a meta-analysis to describe the genetic diversity of pineapple germplasm resources and the results of excellent traits mining, revealed the population structure differences among different germplasm types and geographical sources, analyzed the integration rule of QTL related to high Brix traits through a case study, and proposed a breeding strategy based on molecular markers and genome selection. The results show that genetic variation exists between different regions and varieties of pineapple, and molecular markers are very effective in assessing germplasm diversity and trait associations. This study is expected to provide scientific basis for the targeted breeding of high-quality pineapple varieties and efficient utilization of genetic resources, and promote the development of pineapple industry. Keywords Pineapple germplasm; Genetic diversity; Trait discovery; Meta-analysis; Molecular markers 1 Introduction As one of the major tropical fruits, pineapple (Ananas comosus) has attracted much attention due to its economic value and rich genetic composition, which play a key role in variety improvement and adaptation (Hossain, 2016; Cheng et al., 2018; Chaudhary et al., 2019; Ali et al., 2020). Genetic diversity in pineapple germplasm resources is important for breeding programs to improve yield, fruit quality and stress resistance. Genetic diversity is mainly attributed to the heterozygous characteristics of pineapple and the presence of several varieties such as Perola, Queen, and Abacaxi, each of which exhibits its own unique and potential traits (Duval et al., 2001; Zhao and Qin, 2018). Studies by Paz et al. (2012), Makaranga et al. (2018) and Zhao and Qin (2018) show that the application of molecular markers such as SSR, SNP and AFLP is conducive to the assessment and understanding of genetic diversity. It provides important information for genetic structure analysis and character improvement. The utilization of pineapple germplasm is still facing challenges. The low genetic diversity of pineapples observed by researchers in areas such as Tanzania and Cuba limits the improvement and breeding of local varieties (Paz et al., 2005; Paz et al., 2012; Makaranga et al., 2018). The complex reproductive biology of pineapple, such as open pollination uncertainty and somatic cell variation, increases the complexity of the breeding process and hinders the development of new varieties (Reinhardt et al., 2018; Wang and Paull, 2018; Chen et al., 2019; Nureszuan et al., 2021; Jia et al., 2024). Studies by Makaranga et al. (2018) and Jia et al. (2024) suggest that more advanced breeding strategies must be introduced to effectively exploit and utilize the genetic potential of pineapple germplasm. This study will evaluate the genetic diversity and character discovery of pineapple germplasm through meta-analysis, and propose strategies to overcome the bottleneck of germplasm utilization by integrating data from multiple studies. This study hopes to provide theoretical support for cultivating more resistant and higher quality pineapple varieties, and then promote the development and productivity of pineapple cultivation.
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