Partitioning and distribution of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) variation among eggplant Solanum L. in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

Solanum L., the largest genus of the Solanaceae family, vary morphol., is diverse in no. and is ecogeog. distributed. In Nigeria, previous studies had focused mainly on chromosome morphol., genome description and medicinal values, which are insufficient for genetic affinities. This study used four highly polymorphic random amplified polymorphic DNA primers to describe both the genetic relatedness and variability among 25 accessions of eggplant from Southwestern Nigeria. At a truncated line of 65%, five clusters and two ungrouped samples are distinguishable from the dendrogram. The data reveals that Solanum dasyphyllum Schum. & Thonn. is more closely related to Solanum macrocarpon L. than to Solanum melongena L. The relatedness between Solanum incanum L. and Solanum melongena, a probability of being progenitors from a common ancestral lineage was also shown. Occurrence of Solanum scabrum L. and Solanum nigrum L. in the same clusters different from S. melongena, is an indication of distant relatedness to S. melongena but close relatedness between them. High level of polymorphism was obsd. in this study going by the coeff. of variation which exhibited a good sepn. from a conserved region of the genome. This study, therefore, reveals a wide and diverse genetic base in Nigerian eggplant Solanum. [on SciFinder(R)]