Using AFLP markers to determine the genomic contribution of parents to populations

Estimates of proportions of parental contribution to germplasm populations are useful to breeders. The objective of this research was to assess the ability of amplified fragment-length polymorphism (AFLP) markers to characterize the contributions of the original parents to later cycles of a soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] population that had undergone recurrent selection, Use of four primer pairs yielded a total of 47 polymorphic bands, Estimates of parental contribution were consistent between primer pairs and between cycles and conformed to those expected based on pedigrees. Standard errors of estimates were 3 to 5%, indicating satisfactory precision. The AFLP markers should provide relatively inexpensive, precise estimates of parental contribution. This marker system may also be useful in tracking genetic changes in populations.