Genetic diversity study of important Indian rice genotypes using biochemical and molecular markers

Rice is a staple food for 90% of the world. Genetic characterization of natural resources is an essential step to understand genetic resources. In the present study, commonly using 25 Indian rice genotypes were collected / procured from four different states of India. Genetic variation was assessed using isozyme and RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) markers. A total of 25 isozyme putative loci and 273 RAPD bands were generated with 64 and 96% polymorphism respectively were obtained. The genetic similarity coefficient of isozyme study calculated from Jaccard’s similarity coefficient ranged from 0.702 to 0.95 where as the genetic similarity coefficient of RAPD study calculated from Jaccard’s similarity coefficient ranged from 0.328 to 0.806. Like the previous study the present indicates that isozyme and RAPD markers are reliable, efficient and effective techniques to determine the genetic variation in rice.   Key words: Genetic diversity, isozyme, RAPD, rice.