MOLECULAR PROFILING AND CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF PIGEONPEA GENOTYPES FOR GENETIC DIVERSITY ASSESSMENT

Abstract

The present study was conducted to assess genetic diversity among 24 pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) genotypes using SSR markers. A total of 12 markers were used of which 10 showed polymorphism and were selected for diversity analysis. Genetic similarity was calculated using Jaccard’s similarity coefficient, and the genotypes were grouped using the UPGMA method. The similarity coefficient ranged from 0.55 to 0.95 with an average of approximately 0.67. The dendrogram divided the genotypes into two major clusters, A and B, containing 21 and 3 genotypes, respectively. The highest genetic similarity (95%) was observed between RPS-2007-105 and RPS-2010-16-5, indicating a close genetic relationship between them. The results showed that the selected pigeonpea genotypes differed in their genetic relationships. SSR markers were found useful for studying genetic diversity and identifying potentially suitable genotypes for future breeding programmes. The information obtained from this study may help breeders select suitable parents for developing improved pigeonpea varieties. However, the selected genotypes should also be evaluated for yield, disease resistance and adaptability before their use in breeding programmes.