Assessment of genetic diversity in plantain (Musa paradisiaca L.) using RAPD marker

Abstract

Insufficient information on the diversity of plantain and its relationship with other Musa species in the Musa genus has been cited as one of the major problems hindering genetic improvement within the genus. Hence, this study aimed to assess genetic diversity among plantain cultivars using RAPD markers. Fifteen plantain cultivars were deployed for this study, comprising of ten landraces sourced from different parts of Edo state and five hybrids from International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan. The study revealed a total number of 2 alleles across 4 RAPD primers analysed, effective number of alleles (N_e) ranged from 1.14-2.0, Nei's genetic distance (H) had a mean of 0.30. Polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.12 (OPT-07) to 0.23 (OPH-06), 0.40 (OPT-01) and 0.46 (OPT-06), with a mean of 0.30, which indicated that markers used were polymorphic. Dendrogram revealed 2 clusters; MP EKO and MP ACH both from Edo state displayed genetic relatedness and were more related to MP No. 2 from IITA than MP 07 FPT in the same cluster. The results suggest that though the hybrids have been improved for special qualities, the landraces from Edo state could possess some genes of interest in plantain breeding program.

Keywords: Musa paradisiaca, RAPD, genetic variability, markers