Genetic relationship among 19 accessions of six species of Chenopodium L., by Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA fragments (RAPD)

Abstract

The RAPD technique was used to identify genetic relationships in 19 accessions, including six species of the genus Chenopodium. A dendrogram was constructed using UPGMA from 399 DNA markers. The molecular data clustered species and accessions into five different groups. Group 1 with three cultivated varieties of C. nuttalliae, Group 2 included eight cultivars and two wild varieties of C. quinoa, Group 3 with C. berlandieri and C. album, Group 4 with two accessions of C. pallidicaule, and Group 5 with 2 accessions of C. ambrosioides. The polymorphic patterns generated by RAPD profiles showed different degrees of genetic relationship among the species studied. A low level of intraspecific variation was found within the accessions of C. quinoa, C. nuttalliae, and C. pallidicaule. The RAPD markers were found to be a useful tool for detecting genetic variation within the genus Chenopodium.