Leafy kale (Brassica oleracea L.) is a less common vegetable that is recently gaining in importance as part of a healthy diet since it contains many health-promoting substances. The purpose of the master's thesis was to examine the diversity of 18 genetic resources of leafy kale from gene banks of South-Eastern Europe. At the morphological level, diversity was determined using 36 IBPGR descriptors during the vegetative and generative growth phases. At the biochemical level, diversity was evaluated by measuring the content of total phenolic compounds using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, antioxidant potential according to the DPPH method and the content of total flavonoids using aluminium chloride. Genetic diversity was determined using microsatellite markers. Within the morphological characterisation, 9 numerical morphological parameters were measured for each genetic resource in the vegetative growth phase, and 18 descriptive and 9 numerical morphological parameters were described/measured in the generative phase. Based on the results, genetic resources were classified and described according to morphological characteristics. At the biochemical level, the highest diversity was observed for antioxidant potential and the lowest for the total flavonoid content. Genetic diversity between individual genetic resources of leafy kale was determined using microsatelites and three genetic groups were formed. The information obtained and the results of the master's thesis will be the basis for the description of genetic resources of leafy kales in databases and useful in further breeding programes.
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