Determination of the genetic diversity in populations of halophytic grass S. ioclados using PBA markers

The genetic structure of salt-tolerant halophytic grass Sporobolus ioclados collected from inland and coastal areas of Pakistan was determined using P450 based analog (PBA); the functional genomic markers. Our data revealed high polymorphism (96%) in the collected germplasm. The high genetic variability could be attributed to outcrossing, and sexual reproduction. An analysis of molecular variance depicted higher genetic diversity (80%) within the populations and lower (20%) among the populations. The low genetic diversity among the inland and coastal populations might be due to fragmentation and long physical distances. The dendrogram and principal component analysis clearly distinguished the genotypes of the two populations into two distinct clusters. Our data demonstrated that PBA markers are reliable and reproducible for assessing genetic diversity in halophytic grass and provides valuable insight for future breeding and conservation programs.