The Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding

Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was employed to characterize the interspecific hybrid of G. hirsutum 76 IH x G. anomalum and test its hybrid status. Out of 24 random primers screened, 12 were selected which generated 182 amplification products of which 98 amplicons were polymorphic. Based on the presence or absence of DNA bands in the female parent, of f spring and male parent, the molecular markers could be classified into seven Groups. Group I markers shared bands in both parents and of f spring, Group II markers shared bands in female and of f spring, Group III markers shared bands in both parents, Group IV markers shared bands in male parent and of f spring; Group VII markers were present only in male parent. Of these, only Group IV markers (because of the presence of true distinct bands present in male parent) are suitable for identifying the hybrid status of the of fspring. In this study, 63.3% of the RAPD markers revealed additivity among parents and of f spring G. hirsutum 76 IH x G. anomalum, 34.7% of parental markers (Group III, V and VII) were absent in the of f spring while 2% unique markers (Group VI) were present. The hybrid in the present study showed Group IV markers common with male parents, which clearly shows that DNA based technology such as RAPD could be used with greater speed to detect true interspecific hybrids of Gossypium. Further the trueness of the hybrid was also confirmed on the basis of cytomorphological observations. The significance of this hybrid in introgression of desirable genes from the wild species G. anomalum to cultivated G. hirsutum is discussed.