Molecular characterization of primitive, elite and exotic ginger genotypes to protect the biowealth of elite ginger accessions.

Abstract

Molecular fingerprints of elite, exotic and primitive ginger genotypes were developed usingRAPD and ISSR markers to characterize and protect the accessions. Among the 30 molecularmarkers studied, 13 could easily discriminate the genotypes. Cluster analysis of data usingUPGMA dendrogram placed the ginger genotypes into four separate groups. The groupingof elite genotype with the putative wild types in the dendrogram implies that there is somephylogenetic relationship between the putative wild types and modern cultivars. An exotictype from Japan, resembling the putative types in rhizome features, shared high similaritywith the four indigenous putative types.