Initial genetic diversity assessment of endemic hyrcanian wild fig populations in Azerbaijan

This study presents the first genetic assessment of wild Ficus carica populations from the Hyrcanian forests of Azerbaijan using Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers. Fifteen genotypes collected from Hirkan National Park were analyzed using five ISSR primers, which revealed a moderate level of genetic diversity (GDI = 0.62). All accessions were successfully differentiated, highlighting the high discriminatory power of the selected primers. Jaccard similarity indices ranged from 0.14 to 0.89, with an overall mean of 0.53. Cluster and Principal Coordinates Analyses revealed three major genetic clusters and significant intra-population diversity, with no correlation to geographic proximity. Unique bands were observed in several genotypes, and variation in genetic diversity indices across primers emphasized the importance of marker selection. These findings underscore the substantial genetic variation among wild fig populations in Azerbaijan and confirm the utility of ISSR markers for conservation, breeding, and taxonomic studies of underutilized fig germplasm.