IDENTIFICATION OF RAPD (RANDOM AMPLIFIED POLYMORPHIC DNA) MARKERS FOR ETHIOPIAN WILD COFFEA ARABICA L. GENETIC RESOURCES CONSERVED IN INDIA

Ethiopian coffee (Coffea arabica L.) genetic resources conserved in India have not been subjected to molecular analysis. In the present study, fifteen wild coffee genetic resources representing eight populations and three cultivated varieties of Ethiopian origin were subjected to RAPD analysis. A total of 77 polymorphic RAPD bands were generated by seventeen random primers. The number of polymorphic bands detected with each primer ranged from 2 to 10 with a mean of 6.2 bands per primer. The amount of genetic variation among populations estimated by Shannon diversity indices were in the range of 4.02 to 4.3 indicating a moderate to relatively high level of diversity in the wild populations. Cluster analysis indicated geographical groupings for a few populations without any duplications among the germplasm studied. Present study adds new knowledge on Ethiopian Arabica coffee germplasm conserved in India that is of potential importance in developing a more comprehensive breeding programme for C. arabica and Gene Bank maintenance. .