Analysis of Molecular Assortment in Sugarcane Varieties using ISSR and RAPD markers

Originating in Southeast Asia, sugarcane (Saccharum spp., Poaceae) is a vital global crop whose cultivation has expanded due to rising demand. Genetic diversity analysis is essential for developing targeted breeding and germplasm conservation strategies. This study employed Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) and Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers to assess the genetic diversity of sixty-three sugarcane accessions from the Active Germplasm Gene Bank of the National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB), Islamabad, Pakistan. Fifteen primers from each marker type were used, generating a total of 470 amplified fragments. Of these, 439 (93.4%) were polymorphic. The genetic similarity among accessions ranged from 0.35 to 0.94. Accessions 1 and 2 were the most closely related, while S.C. and S.c. were the most genetically distant. A UPGMA-based dendrogram segregated the accessions into five distinct clusters. This information is valuable for prioritizing parental selection in breeding programs and guiding future germplasm exchange to enhance genetic gains.