DNA polymorphism analysis of Indian germplasms of Trapa natans using RAPD molecular Marker

Water Chestnut (Trapa natans) is a starch producing annual hydrophytic plant with potential as a secure food source. Breeding programmes mostly rely on the DNA polymorphism present in the primary gene pool. Knowledge of the genetic structure for the population is limited, and there are very few reports available on the DNA polymorphism of T. natans. In this study, we have screened RAPD based marker to estimate the DNA polymorphism among 14 germplasms of water chestnut. 180 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker were tested to investigate DNA polymorphism among 14 germplasms of T.natans. Out of 180 RAPD primers, 16 primers gave reproducible bands and are selected for further investigation. A total number of 220 bands were detected, among which 151 bands were polymorphic. The percentage polymorphism varied from 37.5 to 93.75. The average polymorphism across all the fourteen germplasms was found to be 68.63%, while average number of polymorphic band was 9.4. Jaccard's similarity coefficient ranged from 0.45 to 0.93. The analysis of DNA polymorphism is useful for crop improvement and may be helpful for future plant breeders.