Corylus avellana L. is a rare and endangered species in Kazakhstan, included in the national Red Book. The results of morphological and genetic characterization of the sole known natural population of C. avellana in the Western Kazakhstan region are presented in this study. Sixty wild accessions were evaluated based on tree and leaf morphological traits using standard descriptors in accordance with Bioversity International guidelines. Genetic diversity was assessed using ten nuclear simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. A total of 120 alleles were detected across the nuclear loci, with the number of alleles per locus ranging from 9 to 16 and an average of 12. The mean effective number of alleles (Ne) per locus was 3.862. A high level of intraspecific polymorphism was observed, with an average observed heterozygosity (Ho) of 0.70. The population showed considerable genetic diversity, as highlighted by a mean Shannon’s diversity index of 1.526. STRUCTURE, PCoA, and phylogenetic analyses confirmed strong differentiation between the wild Kazakh population and the cultivated hazelnut germplasm. Due to the lack of viable seeds, in vitro conservation was initiated using vegetative shoots. A two-step disinfection protocol, involving Plant Preservative Mixture and mercuric chloride, significantly improved explant survival, enabling successful establishment of an aseptic in vitro collection. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted conservation strategies and show the potential of biotechnological approaches for safeguarding Kazakhstan’s only natural C. avellana population.

This study investigates the phenotypic characteristics, genetic diversity, and population structure of four wild cherry species collected from various regions of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan: Prunus fruticosa Pall., Ptunus erythrocarpa (Nevski) Gilli, Prunus griffithii var. tianshanica (Pojark.) Ingram, and Prunus verrucosa (Franch.). A total of 163 accessions were characterized morphologically using standardized descriptors for plant, leaf, and fruit traits. Genetic diversity was assessed using 13 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. STRUCTURE analysis revealed that 87.7% of the accessions were assigned to pure species. However, hybrid accessions were identified in P. griffithii var. tianshanica (34.4%), P. erythrocarpa (18.5%), and P. verrucosa (8.0%). Identical genotypes were found across all species, with P. fruticosa showing the highest proportion (54.8%), likely due to clonal propagation via root suckers. Among the four species, P. verrucosa exhibited the highest genetic diversity, while P. fruticosa had the lowest. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that genetic variation within the species (81%) was substantially greater than variation among the species (19%). These findings enhance our understanding of the genetic relationships among wild cherry species in Central Asia and provide valuable data for conservation planning and breeding programs aimed at improving drought and frost tolerance in Prunus species.

Genetic variation in four wild Prunus taxa (P. fruticosa, P. erythrocarpa, P. verrucosa and P. griffithii var. tianshanica) was investigated for the first time using six chloroplast DNA regions (matK, r rpl16, ycf1_1, ycf1_2, ndhF and trnH–psbA) analysed through CAPS-based SNP detection. The results revealed weak chloroplast differentiation among P. erythrocarpa, P. verrucosa and P. griffithii var. tianshanica. However, chloroplast variation exhibited a strong geographic signal across the studied populations. The observed chloroplast variation primarily reflected geographic structuring rather than clear differentiation among these closely related taxa. In contrast, P. fruticosa showed distinct chloroplast haplotypes not shared with the other taxa. These findings demonstrate that the developed chloroplast CAPS marker system is effective for detecting chloroplast haplotype variation but has limited discriminatory power among closely related wild Prunus taxa. Further studies using nuclear markers and genome-wide approaches will be required to better resolve their genetic relationships and evolutionary history.

This study presents an optimized protocol for micropropagation of commercially valuable highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) varieties adapted to climatic conditions of Kazakhstan. An effective explant surface disinfection technique was established, providing a high percentage of aseptic plants. Various nutrient media with auxins (IBA, IAA) and cytokinins (zeatin, BAP) were evaluated for shoot proliferation and rooting. The optimal medium for micropropagation was identified as Woodt Plant Medium (WPM) with a double concentration of Ca(NO3)2, 2 mg/L zeatin, 30 g/L sucrose, 3.5 g/L agar, 1.5 g/L gelzan, pH 5.2. The most effective shoot rooting was achieved on half-strength WPM medium with 0.5 mg/L IBA, 30 g/L sucrose, and vermiculite (pH 5.2). In vitro rooted plants were successfully acclimatized to soil conditions by gradually reducing humidity in a controlled greenhouse environment at 20-23°C. The developed micropropagation protocol enables rapid and mass propagation of elite blueberry varieties, ensuring genetic stability and minimizing the risk of pathogen infection. The results obtained contribute to the development of industrial blueberry cultivation in Kazakhstan and promote of modern biotechnological approaches in berry crop production.