title: Efficiency of three PCR-based markers in assessing genetic variation among cowpea (Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata) landraces.
abstract: The main objective of this study was to investigate the efficiency of RAPD, AFLP, and SAMPL marker systems in detecting genetic polymorphism in cowpea landraces (Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata (L.) Walp.) that probably share a similar genetic pool. A second objective was to determine the level of diversity among landraces from a restricted area, to define the most appropriate strategy of on-farm conservation. Each marker system was able to discriminate among the materials analysed, but a clear distinction between all the local varieties was only obtained with AFLP and SAMPL markers. The average diversity index was quite similar for each marker system, but owing to the differences in the effective multiplex ratio values the marker index was higher for the AFLP and SAMPL systems than for the RAPD system. The AFLP and SAMPL techniques appear to be more useful than the RAPD technique in the analysis of limited genetic diversity among the cowpea landraces tested. The significant correlations of SAMPL similarity and cophenetic matrices with those of the other markers, and the lower number of primer combinations required, indicate that this technique is the most valuable. The low genetic similarity detected among landraces suggests that all the cowpea landraces should be maintained on the respective farms from which they came.
authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per le Ricerche sul Miglioramento Genetico delle Piante Foraggere, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tosti
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Negri
mesh_terms: D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000235:genetics*; D005819:Genetic Markers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant; D005819:Genetic Markers