Indian Journal of Crop Science

  • Year: 2008
  • Volume: 3
  • Issue: 1

Characterization of Njavara, the traditional medicinal rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Kerala, India based on RAPD marker analysis

  • Author:
  • P. Sanal Kumar1, C. R. Elsy1, P. A. Nazeem2
  • Total Page Count: 5
  • DOI:
  • Page Number: 87 to 91

1Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, KAU P.O., Thrissur - 680 656, Kerala, India.

2Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, KAU P.O., Thrissur - 680 656, Kerala, India.

Abstract

A set of seven Njavara accessions collected from different parts of Kerala, India along with two local cultivars was subjected to Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with 11 arbitrary 10-mer oligonucliotide primers, applied to the nine accessions, produced a total of 376 different marker bands of which 78.46 per cent were polymorphic. The size of the amplified DNAs was between 0.1 kbp to 3.0 kbp. Sufficient polymorphism was detected with the selected primers under study, to allow the identification of Njavara accessions. Good amplification with polymorphism was observed for primers OPP 7, 11, 12 and 19. Amplification of DNA with primers OPE 6, OPP 6 and 11 exhibited unique bands for Njavara ecotypes. A dendrogram was constructed displaying the relative genetic similarities between the accessions that showed a range of 39 to 72 per cent similarity. At 41 per cent similarity Njavara ecotypes were grouped in one cluster. The above study inferred that the RAPD analysis has offered a rapid and reliable method for the estimation of variability/similarity between different accessions that could be utilized for the protection of our “Sovereign Rights” over the biodiversity and also by the breeders for further improvement of this unique medicinal rice cultivar.

Keywords

Oryza, Njavara ecotypes, medicinal cultivar, molecular markers, RAPD