Strawberry cultivars genetic relationship using randomly amplified polymorfic DNA (RAPD) analysis

Genetic diversity of cultivated strawberry was investigated using RAPD markers. Nineteen different strawberry genotypes, including cultivars and breeding parental lines, were analyzed with fifteen 10 bp primers. The amplification patterns revealed a high level of polymorphism. The results obtained with one of the 10 bp primers allowed a characterization of all genotypes. The DNA patterns obtained with three other primers characterized all but two genotypes. Similarity coefficients were calculated based on RAPD patterns obtained from 15 different primers and a dendrogram representing the genetic relationships among the genotypes was constructed. The results obtained in the present study, compared to previous breeding information available on the cultivars analyzed, confirm the genotypes parentage contribution. Therefore, RAPD markers can be considered a useful tool for further strawberry genetic analysis.