Assessment of genetic diversity of Aconitum heterophyllum Wall. ex. Royle in Uttarakhand, India using ISSR markers

Aconitum heterophyllum (Atees) is an important high-value biennial/perennial medicinal plant, native to Northwestern Himalayan Regions of Indian subcontinent. Due to illegal natural harvest, the species is not sufficiently available in wild, hence immediate attention is required for its conservation which can be possible through its cultivation because of its huge market demand. It's low population density, patchy distribution and great anthropogenic pressure may gradually leading it to near extinction. In present study, the assessment of genetic diversity was done on eight germplasms maintained at Nature interpretation Site (NIS), Baniyakund (2460 masl), Rudraprayag District of Uttarakhand. The seeds were sown and maintained in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) from 2019–2022. The results of ISSR molecular markers indicate some elite variations among those collected from both Garhwal and Kumaun Regions of Uttarakhand. In cluster analysis two different populations with similarity coefficient of 0.77 indicates wide genetic diversity. However, high similarity was observed between the accessions of each population, suggesting low genetic diversity within the populations. Improvement in genetic diversity is recommended as low genetic diversity would lead to rapid decline in the population of the species.