Evaluation of genetic diversity in ricebean [Vigna umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi and Ohashi] germplasm using SSR markers

Abstract

Genetic improvement mainly depends on the extent of genetic variability present in the population. The molecular marker is a useful tool for assessing genetic variations and resolving cultivar identities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic divergence of 40 germplasm lines of ricebean. Forty-four SSR markers were used in the present study, out of which only seven were found to be polymorphic. The dendrogram based on SSR marker analysis grouped the 40 ricebean genotypes into 2 clusters, where cluster I was the largest with 37 genotypes. STRUCTURE analysis for the estimation of population structure divided 40 genotypes into 4 groups in which P1 group consisted of 5 genotypes, P2 with 23 genotypes, P3 with maximum number of 7 genotypes, whereas, P4 consisted of 5 genotypes. The genetic variation revealed by SSR analysis will be used in the future breeding programme of ricebean for the selection of diverse parents for hybridization.

Keywords

• ricebean
• genetic variation
• ssr markers
• hybridization
• genetic divergence