Use of allozyme variation for evaluating genetic purity in asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) cultivars

The study demonstrates the usefulness and applicability of allozyme variation as genetic markers in asparagus. Thirteen cultivars and one supermale strain were surveyed for allozyme polymorphism by starch gel electrophoresis. Five enzyme systems showed polymorphism, and eight loci with 19 alleles were determined by the segregation patterns of offspring obtained from artificial crosses. Allozyme variation within cultivars was found to provide a practical and rapid estimation of genetic purity or seed contamination in commercial seed lots in clonal hybrid cultivars.