Genetic diversity studies in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) using RAPD markers

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to assess genetic diversity in 19 genotypes of cucumber using 14 randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. About 125 amplicons in the range of 5 to 13 with the average of 8.93 bands per primer were produced with 100 per cent polymorphism. Polymorphic information content had maximum value of 0.44 with primer OPC02 and minimum of 0.17 with primer OPA02. The highest marker index value of 4.13 was obtained for primer OPC08 and lowest of 1.21 for primer OPA09. The highest value of resolving power of 6.53 was reported with primer OPC08 and lowest value of 1.47 with primer OPA09. Primers OPC02 and OPC08 were reported as best informative markers for overall estimation of genetic diversity of cucumber crop. Jaccard’s similarity coefficient ranged from 0.09–0.80 with the maximum value of 0.80 between Sikkim Local and Pouni Local genotypes and minimum of 0.09 between AAUC-1 and Gyn-C, AAUC-1 and DWD, Akhnoor Local and Gyn-C, WI-2757 and Gyn-C, K75 and DWD. The study can be helpful for variety identification, development of heterotic combinations by exploiting the genotypes with low similarity values and molecular breeding for improvement of cucumber.