Molecular analysis of commercial date palm cultivars in lybia using ISSR and SRAP PCR- based markers

Abstract

Little is known about the molecular structure of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) despite its importance as invaluable drought tolerant crop. Intervarietal variation and cultivar identification are crucial for breeding and gene bank conservation of this plant worldwide. In this work, two PCR based marker systems (ISSR and SRAP) were applied on top quality eight commercial cultivars in Libya (Umfetity, Bekrary, Alhamraya, Sufeer Genab, Alsaeedy Show, Farag Barameel, Majhool Alheelo and Alkhadraya). DNA variations were explored using eleven ISSR and nine combinations of SRAP markers. All markers used generated polymorphic bands among the different cultivars that can be used as molecular markers for their differentiation. The genetic distance between cultivars was also estimated from banding patterns. Our results indicate that ISSR and SRAP systems can efficiently identify and differentiate between the selected cultivars. This work can be used as a model to establish a road map for all date palm cultivars worldwide.