Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources

The genetic diversity estimation of the released varieties and the improved germplasm is a prerequisite for their immediate exploitation in any crop improvement programme. Twenty two released varieties of barley in India and 14 exotic accessions including six cross derivatives of H. vulgare spp spontaneum and H. vulgare ssp vulgare were analyzed for genetic relatedness using RAPDs and the results obtained were compared with those obtained from the analysis of 17 agro-morphological traits. Four series (OPA, OPD, OPM, OPP) of random decamer primers were screened and 16 primers with polymorphic and reproducible banding pattern were selected. Four primers, namely, OPP15, OPP16, OPA7 and OPA8 together were able to identify most of the accessions. Relationships between the accessions were as certained with the help of dendogram constructed by using UPGMA-clustering. RAPDs markers revealed high genetic diversity particularly among Indian released varieties. On the basis of RAPDs, the genotypes were clustered though loosely according to their place of breeding perhaps due to common ancestry. Morphologically, most of the Indian varieties were clustered into four groups. Clustering based on RAPDs and agro-morphological traits were incongruous. Genetic base of the Indian released varieties of barley is quite wide. The results provide valuable information on the suitability of RAPD for varietal fingerprinting of the released varieties and for the estimation of genetic diversity among accessions.