Genetic Studies of Some Local Syrian Bread Wheat Using RAPD

Nedal Jerodieh(1) Yousef Wjhani*(1) Fakhri Al mousa(2) Wafaa Reda(4) and Ossama Mouhra(1)

  1. Genetic Resource Department, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), Damascus, Syria.
  2. Field Crops Research Administration, (GCSAR), Damascus, Syria.

(*corresponding author: Dr. Yousef Wjhani, Genetic Resource Department, (GCSAR), Damascus, Syria. E-mail: yowj2015@hotmail.com).

Received: 10/07/ 2014                                     Accepted: 29/03/ 2015

Abstract:

The research was conducted at the Laboratory of Genetic Resource Department in the General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), Damascus, Syria. The aim of the study was to investigate the genetic diversity between 9 local bread wheat cultivars (T. aestivum)  i.e. Baladieh Hamraa, Florance Aurore, Salamoni, Maxibak, Kandahari Abiad, Kandahari Ahmar, Sweid, Briji, and Hreideh), and Cham 4 as control. The DNA was isolated, and the genetic diversity was studied by RAPD technique using 9 primers with a GC percentage between 60 to 70%. Results showed that the highest percentage of similarity was 56% between Maxibak and Salamoni and, between Briji and Sweid. The lowest percentage of similarity was 24% between Sweid and Baladieh Hamraa. The 9 primers generated 259 bands in averaging 28.8 band for each primer. 243 bands were polymorphic with a variation rate ranged between 58.6 and 100%. Whereas all studied cultivars were characterized by 89 positive unique bands from all primers, only three cultivars (Baladieh Hamraa, Cham 4 and Briji) were characterized by 5 negative unique bands from /5/ primers. The cultivar Baladieh Hamraa had the highest positive unique bands (18 bands) followed by Florance Aurore (15 bands) and Cham 4 had the highest negative unique bands (3 bands). In addition, VBC2-15 was the most characterizing primer, followed by VBC 3-9. The cluster analysis revealed that the cultivars under study were distributed into two branches, sub branches and groups separated by their environmental requirements. For instance, Salamoni (drought tolerant cultivar), which can grow under rainfed conditions was placed in a branch whereas the cultivars Baladieh Hamraa and Sweid that need irrigated conditions were placed under another branch.

Key words: Bread wheat, Local Syrian cultivars, Genetic Diversity, RAPD.

 Full paper in Arabic : دراسة جزيئية لبعض الأصناف السورية المحلية من القمح الطري باستخدام تقنية RAPD