SSR genotyping of germplasm collections of Saccharum edule Hassk.

Abstract

Saccharum edule Hassk.is cultivated for its aborted edible inflorescence in pacific Islands. The most accepted classification of Saccharum comprises of six species including S.edule, but the status and origin of S.edule was in debate due to its similarities with S.robustum.Though molecular studies have been widely utilized in sugarcane systematic; S.edule was not included in any of these studies. In this study, 17 accessions of S.edule along with five other species of Saccharum were characterized using eight SSR markers. Multiple bands were observed for all the primers used and the highest PIC value highest number of bands were observed for the primer SMC334BS and NKS5 was revealing the least polymorphism. S.spontaneum and S.robustum showed lesser number of bands across the primers. In cluster analysis three main clusters were formed and the other species clones except S.robustum found to cluster in one group along with six S.edule accessions and the S.robustum with another clone of S.edule. Probably the less number of accession used in other species might have resulted in such grouping. However, the grouping of accession in three distinct clusters indicates the wide genetic variability within the collection