Pears (Pyrus spp.) are one of the most important tree fruit crops. They are an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C. The genus Pyrus is native to the Northern Hemisphere and consists of over 20 species. Little work has been done to analyze the genetic relationships among pears. It is important for breeders to understand pedigree relationships among pear germplasm in order to make informed crosses. To assess the genetic diversity and relationships among ~200 advanced pear genotypes, target region amplification polymorphism (TRAP) markers were used. Six primer combinations (three sets of polymerase chain reaction) produced a total of 86 polymorphic loci. Scoring information was subsequently analyzed with the software programs STRUCTURE, CLUMPP, and DISTRUCT in order to assign individuals into populations and determine admixture within individuals. STRUCTURE output indicates that these particular individuals fall into three populations and that there is admixture among the individuals. In addition to analyzing the genetic diversity and relationships among these individuals, a virtual representation of the data was created using the custom software seeDNA™. The software generates a unique genetic identity number based upon the loci amplified, this format is converted to a two dimensional barcode. seeDNA™ is compatible with all types of marker output including SNPs generated via next generation sequencing platforms.
