Studying genetic diversity in confectionary sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) by using microsatellit markers

In this study، genetic variability among and within 50 confectionery sunflower populations was investigated using 10 microsatellite markers (SSR). The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 3 with an average of 2. 1. The number of effective alleles per locus was estimated from 1. 948 (locus ORS785) to 1. 468 (locus ORS1088) with an average of 1. 825. The highest expectedheterozygosity (0. 484) was estimated for ORS785 locus and the lowest one (0. 268) estimated for ORS1088. The mean of expected and observedheterozygosity was 0. 435and0. 722، respectively. Polymorphic information content varied between 0. 572 in ORS785 locus and 0. 334 in ORS1088 with an average of 0. 503. A principal co-ordinates analysis (PCoA) showed that the first two Eigen-values explained 31. 71% of the cumulative variation. Cluster analysis based on complete algorithm and Nei genetic distance grouped the studied populations in 3 main classes. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that the high part of total variation was due to within populations. So it will be better to do selection within populations in breeding programs.