Estimation of genetic variability among elite wheat genotypes using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis.

Sajida Bibi; Imtiaz A. Khan; Abdullah Khatri; M. H. Naqvi; M. Aquil Siddiqui; Shafqat Yasmeen; Nighat Seema; M. Umar Dahot

Twenty four wheat varieties/lines were assessed through RAPD for genetic diversity. Of forty primers, thirteen were able to amplify the genomic DNA and yielded 269 polymorphic bands. The percentage of the polymorphic loci was 86.22%. Nei’s genetic diversity (h) ranged from 0.248 to 0.393, with an average of 0.330. Shanon’s index (I) ranged from 0.382 to 0.567, with an average of 0.487. The proportion of genetic variation among the populations (Ds) accounted for 28.58 % of the whole gentic diversity. The level of gene flow (Nm) was 1.25. Some specific RAPD bands were also identified, variety C-591, and QM-4531 contain a specific segment of 4.9kbp. Whereas SARC-1 and PKV-1600 amplified a specific DNA segment with primer A-09. Marvi-2000 contains two specific segments of 3.2kb and 200bp amplified with primer B-07. Genetically most similar genotypes were C-591 and Pasban-90 (76%) and most dissimilar genotypes were Rawal-87 and Khirman (36.1%). On the basis of results, 24 wheat varieties under study could be divided into ‘two’ groups and five clusters ‘A’ to ‘E’.