Assessment of genetic diversity among mango (Mangifera indica L.) genotypes using RAPD markers

Knowledge about the extent of genetic diversity/relatedness in mango germplasm is vital for developing coherent strategies for future gains in productivity. The genetic diversity/relatedness among mango cultivars/genotypes developed in Pakistan has not been investigated previously. We have assessed the genetic diversity among 25 mango genotypes/cultivars using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Sixty random ten-mer primers were surveyed, out of which 45 yielded amplicons in all the genotypes. Genetic similarity between genotypes/cultivars was in the range of 64–89% with an average of 74%. Similarly, the genetic relatedness among all variants derived from a mango cultivar Chaunsa was in the range of 81.18–88.63%. These coefficients were utilized to construct a dendrogram using the unweighted pair group of arithmetic means (UPGMA). The genotypes were grouped into three (A, B, C) clusters. Generally, genotypes originating from Pakistan were grouped in cluster ‘A’ while cluster ‘B’ primarily composed of southern India as well as Florida cultivars. Kensington Pride was the most distantly related genotype which grouped with Maya and Yakta, forming a distinct cluster ‘C’.