R. Kapoor - Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, PAU, Ludhiana ۱۴۱۰۰۴, Punjab, India.
Kh. Choudhary - Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India.

The present study was undertaken to assess the genetic diversity in the ninety six oat (Avena sativa L.) elite cultivars representing the collection from various eco-geographical regions of India. The molecular diversity analysis using ۴۰ SSR markers clustered all the ۹۶ cultivar into ten clusters and significant level of distinction (dissimilarity coefficient ranged from ۰.۱۲ to ۰.۹۶) was depicted among the lines indicating a high degree of divergence among these lines. Genotypic pairs having utmost genetic dissimilarity (۰.۹۶) were OL۱۶۳۴ and OL۱۶۸۸, OL۱۷۰۲ and OL۱۶۸۸, OL۱۷۰۵ and OL۱۶۳۴, UPO۰۳-۳ and OL ۱۶۸۸, and UPO۰۳-۳ and OL۱۷۰۵ that can be used as parents in purposeful hybridization programs. Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) values ranged from as low as ۰.۰۶ to as high as ۰.۷۵ (AM ۷). Owing to their highest PIC values, primer pairs AM۷ (۰.۷۵), AM۲ (۰.۶۹) and AM۱۰ (۰.۶۹) can be further used in association mapping studies in oat. The Un-weighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) based dendrogram revealed the cluster V (۱۹ genotypes) as the largest and cluster X (۳ genotypes) as the smallest one. Thus, genotypes within clusters can be predicted as similarity pool in further oat improvement programs. The selected panel of SSR markers performed well in detection of genetic diversity patterns and can be recommended for future germplasm characterization studies in oats.

Dissimilarity coefficient, Molecular diversity analysis, Polymorphic information Content, SSRs