Study of Molecular Biodiversity and Population Structure of Vitis vinifera L. ssp. vinifera on the Volcanic Island of El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain) by Using Microsatellite Markers

Abstract

El Hierro island is postulated as the most biodiverse of the archipelago. To verify this hypothesis, the 87 individuals collected throughout the island were genotyped with 20 SSRs. As a result of this study, 28 varieties were described, 6 of which were new (Uval piñero, Uvalero volcánico, Pinar negro, Seis de Carlos, Tesoro blanco, Uval negro), and the first rose sport of the local Canary Islands variety Bermejuela was also found. Fifteen errors were detected in total. Eleven varieties were identified that were unknown to the vine growers and twenty individuals with variations (mutations) were found, of which two had already been described in a previous prospection in Lanzarote Island (intra-varietal variability). From this study, it is also proposed to incorporate 33 new names into the world database, corresponding mostly to the individuals and variations described for the first time, which represents a lexicographic enrichment. Finally, the singularity of the population of vines adapted to El Hierro island is demonstrated, not only with respect to the population of Canary Islands vines, but also with respect to the world population. The biodiversity and uniqueness of El Hierro and the Canary Archipelago reaffirm the proposal that the Canary Islands should be considered a world biodiversity centre.