Assessment of genetic diversity in ragi [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn] using morphological, RAPD and SSR markers.

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn., 2n=36) is one of the most important minor crops, commonly known as 'ragi' and used as a staple food grain in more than 25 countries including Africa and south Asia. Twenty-seven accessions of ragi were collected from different parts of India and were evaluated for morpho-genetic diversity studies. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used for assessment of genetic diversity among 27 genotypes of E. coracana. High degree of similarity (90%) was obtained between 'IC49979A' and 'IC49974B' genotypes, whereas low level of similarity (9.09%) was found between 'IC204141' and 'IC49985' as evident in morphological and DNA markers. A total of 64 SSR and 301 RAPD amplicons were produced, out of which 87.50% and 77.20% DNA fragments showed polymorphism, respectively. The clustering pattern obtained among the genotypes corresponded well with their morphological and cytological data with a monophyletic origin of this species which was further supported by high bootstrap values and principal component analysis. Cluster analysis showed that ragi accessions were categorised into three distinct groups. Genotypes IC344761, IC340116, IC340127, IC49965 and IC49985 found accession specific in RAPD and SSR markers. The variation among ragi accessions might be used as potential source of germplasm for crop improvement.