Identification of ISSR markers associated with morphological traits in cultivated alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) populations

ISSR markers were used to identify informative markers associated with traits plant high، chlorophyll content، total wet weight، total dry weight، leaf wet weight، leaf dry weight، stem wet weight، stem dry weight، number of leaves، number of stems and their ratio، ratio of leaf dry weight to stem dry weight and total dry weight to total wet weight in alfalfa populations. Sixteen ISSR primers amplified 117 loci among 80 alfalfa genotypes، with an average of 7. 3 loci per primer. Polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0. 65 (UBC849) to 0. 93 (443)، with an average of 0. 77. Stepwise regression analysis between molecular data as independent variables، and morphological data as dependent variables was performed to identify informative markers associated with the studied traits. ISSR loci associated with total dry weight and leaf dry weight were the same. ISSR markers، Kourd and UBC849، were associated with number of leaves and leaf dry weight to stem dry weight، respectively. The maximum variation of chlorophyll content (82%) was accounted by UBC808، UBC812، UBC849، A12، 848، 425 and 456 markers while UBC808 and 425 markers accounted for 15% of the variation of the leaf wet weight. Since most of the used ISSR primers showed significant association with the studied traits، therefore، it is possible to use these markers along with morphological traits in alfalfa breeding programs for identification of suitable parents to produce mapping populations and hybrid varieties.