Abstract

A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF MOLECULAR MARKER ASSAYS (AFLP AND RAPD) FOR CYMBOPOGON GERMPLASM CHARACTERIZATION

Nirupama Lal* and S.K. Awasthi

Abstract

Several DNA-based marker systems are available for genetic fingerprinting of plants but information on their relative usefulness for characterization of Cymbopogon germplasm is lacking. The efficiency of RAPD and AFLP markers for the assessment of genetic relationships (intra- and interspecific variation), for cultivar identification and discrimination among eighteen Cymbopogon accessions belonging to eleven species, five varieties, one hybrid and one unidentified species were investigated. Dendograms were produced based on band patterns scores using UPGMA method. Results showed that each of the two techniques could unequivocally identify each accession but the techniques differed in the amount of polymorphism generated per primer (or primer pair) per accession. Cymbopogon genotypes classified in the same species status based on morphology or different species status based on chemical markers were often genetically different, emphasizing the need for molecular fingerprinting in Cymbopogon germplasm characterization. AFLPs showed the highest efficiency in detecting polymorphism and revealed genetic relationships that most closely reflected morphological and chemical classification.

Keywords: Cymbopogon; Genotyping; Genetic diversity; RAPD; AFLP; Molecular markers.