Hamed Khodayari - Departmentof of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Lorestan, Khorramabad, orestan, Iran.
Hojatolah Saeidi - Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
Azadeh Akhavan - Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
Mohammad Pourkheirandish - plant Genome Research Unit, National Institute of Agrobiological Science (NIAS),۲-۱-۲Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, ۳۰۵-۸۶۰۲, Japan
Tako Komatsuda - plant Genome Research Unit, National Institute of Agrobiological Science (NIAS),۲-۱-۲Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, ۳۰۵-۸۶۰۲, Japan

The genetic diversity patterns of ۵۴ natural populations and ۴۰ individuals of wild barley from different localities in Iran were analyzed using ۲۶ microsatellites markers. At population level, high levels of diversity (۰.۷۱), with an average number of ۶.۹۲ alleles per locus (ranging up to ۱۷) and high level polymorphism with polymorphism rate averaging ۰.۶۷ were observed. Average number of alleles was ۳۸.۳۷ per population (ranged from ۳۶.۳۳ in the Northeast to ۳۸.۹۴ in the West) and ۲۸.۴۲ per individual (ranged from ۲۸.۱۱ in the West to ۲۹ in the North). In dendrograms, accessions collected from the North and Northeast of Iran were grouped away from those collected from the West and Northwest, suggesting the presence of two different wild barley sub genepools in this country. The genetic diversity decreases from the West toward the East. Based on the results of this study the wild Iranian gene pool of barley represents high level of diversity and there is value to search for new useful alleles to incorporate to the breeding programs.

wild barley, Genetic diversity, gene pool, Microsatellites, Iran