Abstract
Maize (Zea mays L.) is the major cereal cultivated in Benin and it is important to know its genetic diversity to improve the yield. The genetic markers of important traits are evaluated in order to improve the maize inbred lines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of Benin’s maize accessions by SSR marker. Thus, one hundred eighty seven maize accessions from three areas (South, Center and North) were analyzed using three SSR markers. A total of 227 polymorphic bands were produced and showed high genetic diversity (Shannon index = 0.51). The polymorphic information content (PIC) values for the SSR loci ranged from 0.58 to 0.81, with an average of 0.71. Genetic distance-based UPGMA dendrogram showed a genetic differentiation between accessions and they were grouped into four clusters in each area. This work provides necessary information that can be used not only to improve the maize production and conservation but also to better manage genetic species resources in Benin.
Highlights
Maize is the major cereal growing in the humid tropics and sub-Saharans Africa climate [1]
Classification of the Maize Accessions According to Germination Time
Analyze of this figure shows that the percentage of germination varied according the number of day after seeding and according to the zone
Summary
Maize is the major cereal growing in the humid tropics and sub-Saharans Africa climate [1] It is a changeable cereal classified third in world cereal production after wheat and rice [2]. In Benin, maize occupies about 82% of total cereals cultivated area and represents about 84% of national cereal production This cereal appears as essential product in Benin [6] and is characterized by large range of varieties (improved and local) managed by producers themselves [7]. The local resources have a very significant phenotypic variability and genetic diversity and constitute an essential component of food security, as they provide the raw material used by breeders to improve the quality and productivity of maize. The use of molecular markers provided an opportunity to analyze large-scale of maize populations [8] like previously used to study the structure of plants genetic variation [9] [10]
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