GENETIC DIVERSITY OF DIFFERENT CAROTENOID CONTAINING INDIAN POTATO CULTIVARS AS REVEALED BY SSR MARKERS

Abstract

Specialty potatoes, particularly rich in nutrients have gained importance in recent times which has lead
formulation of separate breeding programs. Characterizing the genetic base of essential cultivars in any crop is very
important for the breeders to utilize and improve it through these breeding programs. Forty one Indian potato cultivars
characterized for their total carotenoid content were grouped into two, 24 with low carotenoid (≤ 100 μg/100g f.w.) content
and 17 with medium (100 - 350 μg/100g f.w.), based on their total carotenoid content. Twenty four nuclear microsatellite
markers were used to assess the genetic diversity present within and between the different groups which generated a total
of 177 alleles with an average of 7.37 per loci and 4.01 per genotype. Four alleles were found specific to potato cultivars
with low carotenoids content, whereas, none were found specific to medium carotenoids containing cultivars. Genetic
diversity among the low carotenoid varieties was found to be higher (2.31) than the medium containing (2.26). The cluster
analysis grouped all the 41 varieties into 2 main clusters and 4 sub clusters with no clear relation between diversity and
total carotenoid content. The average proportion of diversity present within the Indian potato cultivars (low + medium)
was found to be 98%, whereas, the proportion of diversity between the cultivars of low and medium carotenoid containing
was found to be very low (2%). The analyzed diversity among the different carotenoid containing Indian potato cultivars
would be of great help to breeders as many of these are used as parents to develop new and improved potato varieties.