DNA polymorphisms in some Mauritan varieties of eggplant ( Solanum melongena L.) and their related wild species using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers.

Paper Presenter: Banumaty Saraye (Mrs), Agricultural Research & Extension Unit

Eggplant is widely grown locally and a common vegetable consumed by most of the population in several types of dishes. Two types of eggplant are currently grown locally, the long cylindrical type, the variety “Cipaye” and the round type, the variety “Farcie”. The annual production turns around 2819 t over an area of 202 ha (Anon, 2004). Most of the varieties that exist locally are shiny purple in colour but there exist some white varieties which are not commercially grown. Most of the varieties being grown locally are those developed by the small growers. A few numbers of varieties are available which have been introduced by research organizations like the Ministry of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research and Extension Unit and some private seed companies. However the bulk of the plantation comes from the varieties possessed by the growers who have been collecting seeds which they kept for the next generation. The main constraints in eggplant plantation locally are the susceptibility of some of the varieties to the major disease, the bacterial wilt and also to some major pest like thrips and mites. It is known that the wild types of eggplant species are resistant to such disease and pest incidence and also to change in environment. Since no molecular studies have been carried out on the different eggplant varieties available locally and their related wild species.
A survey of the genetic diversity among Mauritian eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) varieties and two wild species Solanum torvum and Solanum violaceum were carried out using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. The CTAB method using phenol/chloroform/isoamyl was found to yield sufficient good quality DNA from tender leaves of these Solanum spp. A total of 31 arbitrary primers were screened. Only seven primers were found to be highly informative and they produced distinct and polymorphic bands. A total of 67 amplified products were obtained which exhibited 54.7% polymorphism. A cluster analysis was performed using the software Population as the clustering method. The dendodgram obtained from the RAPD markers showed the genetic variation between the cultivated varieties and the wild types. It also showed the close relationship that exists among the cultivated types. These primers will be useful for future genetic analysis and also serve as genetic basis for selection of parents for crop improvement
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