Genetic Diversity of Yam (<i>Dioscorea spp.</i>) Landraces from Ethiopia Assessed by Morphological and Microsatellite Markers

Abstract

Genetic diversity present within and between populations is crucial for breeding and conservation. The objective of this study was to assess the  genetic diversity in yam landraces by using agro-morphological and microsatellite markers. Phenotypic diversity of 36 landraces collected from  southwest Ethiopia was determined using diversity indices, principal component and cluster analyses. High phenotypic diversity indices were  recorded, ranging from 0.53 to 1.50, with a mean of 0.985. Principal component analysis identified seven PCAs which contributed 88.4% of the total  phenotypic variation among the landraces. The test primers amplified a total of 30 fragments, of which 80% was polymorphic. The number of alleles  detected per locus ranged from 1 to 5, with a mean of 3. Number of effective alleles ranged from 1 to 3.57. Gene diversity ranged from 0.00  to 0.80 with a mean of 0.53. The mean polymorphic information content ranged from 0.00 to 0.72, with a mean of 0.30. The Simple Sequence Repeat  markers and phenotypic traits showed similar clustering patters of landraces except some differences. The results obtained in this study are  useful for future yam breeding and conservation program.