Genetic variation between Pakistani wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes as revealed by Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers

The genetic variation and relationships among 277 individual plants from 10 wheat genotypes were evaluated using RAPD markers. A total of 190 DNA fragments was generated by 25 random primers, with an average of 7.6 easily detectable fragments per primer. Of these, 84 fragments (44.64%) were polymorphic among the 10 genotypes. Several RAPD marker bands showed unique patterns of mean frequency that differed among the wheat germplasm groups. Within-population genetic variation ranged from 83% to 93% of the total. The greatest similarity was observed between Marghila-99 and Marvee-2000, whereas the local variety 8670-3 showed the lowest similarity with the exotic types. RAPD analysis can be used for the characterization and grouping of wheat genotypes. These results will be helpful in future wheat breeding programs.