Efficiency of RAPD and SCoT molecular markers in the differentiation of camelthorn (Alhagi maurorum) populations

Investigation of genetic diversity is particularly important in understanding how populations are created over time and geographical locations. In this study, the genetic diversity of 22 populations of Alhagi maurorum was studied using RAPD and SCOT primers during 2018-2019. From a total of 27 RAPD and 24 SCOT primers, 19 and 18 primers showed high polymorphism, respectively. In overall, the RAPD and SCOT primers showed 100% and 95.42% polymorphism, respectively. The R3, R11 (0.42), and S12 (0.44) primers had the highest Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) index, the R10 (17) and S2, S4, S6, S7 and, S10 (13) primers showed the highest Effective Multiple Ratios (EMR) index, the R13 (5.92) and S7 (5.36) primers had the highest Marker Index (MI) and, the R4 (9.54) and S14 (11.7) primers showed the highest Resolving Power (RP. The results of molecular variance analysis were similar and the both markers showed 14% and 86% of the variations between and within the groups, respectively. Cluster analysis based on the RAPD and SCOT markers, classified the populations into three and six clusters, respectively. The analysis of the clusters showed that there was no correlation between the genetic variation and geographical diversity. It was suggested that in future studies, crossing between Tehran population and Gonabad, Tabas, Beshroieh, Sarbisheh, and Nilshahr populations which have a greater genetic distance, could be effective to create superior hybrids.  In this study, all the genetic parameters of both markers were similar and their efficiency was almost the same.