Evaluation of Genetic Distances of Rice Varieties using RAPD Markers

In rice breeding programs through hybridization, information on genetic distances and similarities between varieties is necessary for development of new lines. This study conducted with the aim of evaluating genetic distances between sixteen rice varieties using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Eight out of fifteen primers generated polymorphism and the number of amplification products generated by each primer varied from 4 (OPB-04) to 11 (OPD-11) with an average of 7.75 bands per primer. Out of 62 bands, 4 (69.35 percent) were found to be polymorphic between varieties. Cluster analysis grouped genotypes into 5 clusters. Results of the study showed that varieties Hashemi and Pouya had more genetic distance from each other and from the rest varieties. The information obtained in this study will be helpful in selecting genetically diverse parents for designing rice breeding program in Iran.