Exploring the Genetic Divergence in Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) Germplasm Using Multiple Molecular Marker Systems

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Genetics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Genetic variation is crucial for crop improvement.
• Molecular markers offer powerful tools for assessing genetic diversity.
• Mungbean (Vigna radiata) breeding requires understanding its genetic base.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize genetic variation in 21 mungbean genotypes.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of RAPD, ISSR, and SSR markers for diversity analysis.
• To provide insights for enhancing mungbean breeding programs.

Main Methods:

• Employed 42 Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD), Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR), and Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers.
• Analyzed polymorphic bands, allele frequencies, and polymorphism percentages.
• Calculated Jaccard's similarity coefficient and constructed dendrograms using UPGMA.

Main Results:

• RAPD, ISSR, and SSR markers generated significant polymorphic bands (79, 21, and 6, respectively).
• ISSR and SSR markers achieved 100% polymorphism, while RAPD showed 80%.
• High PIC values for SSR-VR-303 and ISSR-UBC-810 indicated strong discriminatory power; low Jaccard's similarity suggested limited divergence.

Conclusions:

• Molecular markers effectively identified genetic divergence among mungbean genotypes.
• The study identified specific markers (e.g., ISSR-UBC-810, SSR-VR-303) with high discriminating power.
• Findings can guide strategies to broaden the genetic base in mungbean breeding.