PCR-Based Genetic Diversity in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Genotypes Using Random Primers

The study aims to develop DNA fingerprints for determining genetic diversity in a set of Indian grown chickpea genotypes using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique. Analysis of 30 genotypes using 30 arbitrary decamer random primers revealed 149 PCR products, of which 130 were polymorphic, with a level of 87.24% polymorphism. Estimates of genetic similarity based on Nei and Li equation ranged from 0.16 to 0.88, indicating the genetic variability among the genotypes. A dendrogram showing the genetic distances was constructed based on RAPD data. Four genotypes, L-550, H-90-231, Katila and H-92-67, were highly diverse from the rest, indicating they are very far from the rest of the genotypes on the hierarchical scale. Least genetic distance was found between H-86143 and H-91-36. It was observed that RAPD analysis employing 30 polymorphic primers could provide a good estimate of genetic relationships in chickpea.