Diversity in Himalayan Hull-less Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Landraces Using AFLP and STMS Markers

A total of 28 accessions naked barley landraces mainly from north-western Indian Himalaya comprising three main administrative regions, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand states together with five exotic accessions, four from Ethiopia and one from Nepal, were characterized using AFLP and STMS markers. The AFLP markers resolved inter-population diversity better particularly discriminating accessions from Uttarakhand Himalaya with specific adaptations. STMS markers used for studying population genetic parameters revealed that accessions from Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh were more diverse than accessions from Uttarakhand and the exotic accessions. The group-wise F-statistics revealed that on average 68% of variation was apportioned among populations and 32% within populations. Understanding the population genetic parameters for in situ (on-farm) management of farmers' landraces and use of landraces representing locally common alleles for specific adaptations in crop improvement is suggested.