Investigation of genetic diversity of Barley and Virginia tobacco varieties using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism

Considering the economic importance of tobacco and its role as a model plant in molecular researches, in the present study, 50 tobacco genotypes from Barley and Virginia group were evaluated. In order to determine of genotype, 21 primer combinations of AFLP were used. According to the results, out of 480 total numbers of bands with average of 17.76 bands for each combination, 373 bands showed polymorphic pattern. Due to high polymorphic percentage of used marker (77.45%), it can be expected to consider, this marker as a powerful tool for assessment of genetic diversity in tobacco breeding programs. Investigation of Jaccard’s genetic coefficients revealed Badisher Burley E, Pennbel69, R9 and Coker 176 had the highest genetic distances than the others. Therefore, it seems the genotypes to be useful for breeding programs including hybridization and developing of segregating mapping population. The results of AMOVA showed 4% of the total genetic variation was estimated between two groups of Barley and Virginia flu-cured and 96% was related to within groups. Also diversity statistic revealed primer combinations of E060-M160, E070-M140, E070-M150, E070-M160, E080-M150, E080- M160, E100-M140 and E100-M150 were the most powerful markers in the evaluation and identifying of relationships among tobacco genotypes that can be considered in the other related studies.