Genetic diversity of maize resources revealed by different molecular markers

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the third most important cereal crop in the world because of its nutritional value and industrial benefits. Molecular markers are used mainly by the breeders to study the genetic variability of genotypes and its application in the breeding process. Two types of molecular markers, 10 RAPD primers and 10 SCoT primers, were assayed to determine the genetic diversity of 25 Slovak maize lines and 25 maize varieties. A high level of polymorphism was found with both RAPD and SCoT markers, which was confirmed by high average PIC values using both techniques. The efficiency of individual marker techniques in the detection of genotype diversity can be compared by calculating the marker index (MI) and detecting diversity index (DDI). A higher MI (11.788) and DDI (2.358) value was achieved by the SCoT technique compared to the RAPD method. Three joint dendrograms and PCoA plots constructed based on RAPD, SCoT and both methods combined confirmed the unambiguous separation of maize lines and varieties from each other. The results obtained from the RAPD and SCoT analysis can be used for the selection of potentially suitable biological sources for further marker-assisted breeding.