Molecular characterization of amaranth landraces and assessment of interspecific relationships among Amaranthus spp. (L.) using RAPD markers

Amaranth landraces belonging to three species namely Amaranthus tricolor, A. dubius and A. hypochondriacus were studied for assessing genetic diversity and interspecific relationship using RAPD markers. Eighteen primers used for the study showed a very high level of polymorphism. Out of the total 376 brands detected, 89% were polymorphic. Genetic similarity indices ranged from 0.252 to 0.942 indicating a very high level of diversity within landrace collection which is mainly attributed to interspecific diversity. Three species distinctly formed three different groups on clustering. Clustering was influenced by morphological characters like leaf colour, but no geographical trends were clear. RAPD markers specific to each species were identified which can be utilized in future as SCARs. A. dubius and A. hypochondriacus were observed to be genetically closer than A. tricolor.