GENETIC DIVERSITY AMONG SELECTED KERSTING'S GROUNDNUT ACCESSIONS BASED ON SSR, SCoT AND RAPD MARKERS

Authors

  • K. A. ODESOLA
  • S. O. OLUFEMI
  • O. J. OLAWUYI

Keywords:

Genetic markers, Kersting’s groundnut, Molecular diversity, Protein-rich crop

Abstract

Kersting's groundnut is an underutilized but nutritious legume of West Africa. Adequate knowledge of genetic diversity among available accessions of Kersting's groundnut will facilitate establishing a viable improvement program to enhance its potential as an alternative protein source. This study investigated the molecular diversity among 20 Kersting’s groundnut accessions using Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers, Start Codon Targeted (SCoT), and Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD). The accessions were planted in the nursery farm of the Department of Botany, University of Ibadan, to raise seedlings of the accessions from where leaf samples were taken for molecular study. DNA extraction, PCR amplification using three molecular markers (five SSRs, seven SCoTs, and five RAPDs), and subsequent analysis using Power Marker version 3.25 software revealed significant genetic diversity and relationships among accessions. Higher polymorphism and higher gene diversities were found in SCoT 35 (86.4%, 0.88), SCoT 36 (80.8%, 0.83) and SCoT 3 (75.1%, 0.78), respectively. Higher allelic frequencies > 0.5 were observed in RAPD and SSR markers compared to the SCoT marker, indicating molecular variation. The SSR markers formed two main clusters at 10% genetic similarity. SCoTs dendrogram showed two clusters, with cluster 2 dividing into subclusters A and B. RAPDs grouped genotypes similarly. This study established genetic variability among the Kersting's groundnut accessions wide enough to initiate a breeding program. The study underscored the potential usefulness of molecular technology in exploiting the genetic potential of the crop for improvement.

Published

2024-07-02