RAPD as useful marker for coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) DNA analysis

Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) is a simple technique used for genetic analysis in many crops. The effectiveness of 45 RAPD primers were evaluated based on polymorphism information content (PIC) and marker index (MI) for their use in coconut. Among the RAPD primers, maker index ranged from 6.280 to 0.031. The primer OPBE 06 had the higher MI and accordingly other primers were ranked. Five, 10 and 15 primers were identified as informative primers. The dendrograms were constructed separately for informative primers and 45 primers using software NTSYS pc. The dendrogram obtained using 15 informative primers was comparable to that of 45 primers.