Use of RAPD Markers to Characterize Salt and Drought Lines of Sugarcane

Present experiment carried out to evaluate variability at molecular level between parent and salt and drought tolerant mutant developed by application of selection pressure in tissue culture. Ethyl Methane Sulphonate treated embryogenic calli of sugarcane. Calli were cultured on a selective medium containing NaCl (100 mM) and PEG (2%) for development of salt and drought tolerant plants separately, primer OPK-4 produced maximum 12 bands out of which one was polymorphic. The primer OPK-20 produced 3 monomorphic bands out of total 9 bands. Primer OPK-10 produced maximum polymorphism (100%) followed by primer OPK-04 (91.67%), OPK-15 (88.89%) and OPL-03 (88.89%). Line 8 had showed maximum genetic variation to the parental plant (0.543) followed by line 10 (0.556) and line 2 (0.565). The regenerants of Co 99004 were divided into two clusters, which placed lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and control into first cluster whereas, line 8 and 10 into second cluster. The dendrogram also divided maximum salt tolerant and drought tolerant lines into two clusters suggesting that salt regenerants completely different from drought tolerant lines. Maximum salt and drought tolerant lines placed away from the control supporting the polymorphism revealed by the RAPD profile.