PJB-2018-347
PHYLOGENETIC AFFINITIES AND GENETIC DIVERSITY IN TEA CULTIVARS OF PAKISTAN ESTIMATED THROUGH PHENOTYPIC AND MOLECULAR MARKERS
Sahib Gul Afridi
Abstract
Numerical trait analysis and DNA fingerprinting were employed for elaborating genetic diversity and establishing affinities among the tea cultivars grown in Pakistan. Twelve cultivars were identified with the help of numerical trait analyses while thirteen cultivars including these 12 cultivars were tested with DNA fingerprinting of 130 plants i.e. 10 plants per cultivar. Numerical elaboration was done with 18 quantitative and 7 qualitative traits. The analyses of leaf, shoot and seed parameters differentiated all the genotypes into two groups viz., broad and narrow leaved, corresponded to the Chinese (Camellia sinensis var sinensis) and Assam (Camellia sinensis var assamica) type of tea, respectively. Most of the narrow leaved cultivars introduced from different origins segregated into similar types both for the qualitative and quantitative traits. DNA analyses through RAPD and SSR primers detected 115 and 87 alleles, in 75 and 103 plants, respectively. Genetic distance estimates were 0-100%, showing high level of genetic diversity. The cluster analysis of RAPD data showed mixed grouping profile of the samples, however, samples from different plants of a particular cultivar segregated into independent sub-clusters. The findings of molecular data were generally in coincidence with the results obtained from numerical trait analysis, concluding close genetic affinity among the tea cultivars separated on the basis of leaf morphology. The variations between, and within plants of the same cultivar confirmed the differences in origin of the cultivars. Information obtained from numerical trait analysis was generally in conformity with the information obtained from DNA fingerprinting. Failure of placing some broad-leaved cultivar into clearly will-defined clusters may be attributed due to genetic introgressions because of cross pollination.
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