Microsatellite-inferred genetic architecture of oil palm germplasm

Abstract

The oil palm is a plant that produces vegetable oil and is pollinated by insects. It can grow for many years. To study the population structure trends and genetic diversity of 150 oil palm lines from Indian indigenous collections. A total of 54 SSR loci were used to amplify DNA from 150 oil palm samples. The amplification results revealed a considerable degree of genetic heterogeneity among oil palm individuals based on 54 polymorphic microsatellite loci. The average PIC value for all polymorphic loci across oil palm genotypes was 0.44, ranging from 0.19 to 0.78. However, the mixing of different genotypes was better explained by the SSR markers. Of the 54 SSRs examined in this study, mEgCIR0246, mEgCIR3358, mEgCIR0782, and mEgCIR0779 show a respectably high degree of polymorphism. The mean of Heterozygosity (Ho) was 0.28 and 150 genotypes were split into two main groups using unweighted pair-group technique. The oil palm lines were found to have originated from two separate sources. The SSR method was found to be effective and reliable for measuring the genetic diversity in oil palm. Knowing about genetic diversity and how different populations are structured is very important for managing genetic resources in a way that helps future breeding programs.