RAPD and pedigree-based genetic diversity estimates in cultivated diploid potato hybrids

In this study, RAPD and pedigree data were used to investigate the genetic relationships in a group of 45 diploid hybrid potato clones used in the breeding and genetics program of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Potato Research Centre in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and used for the potato after-cooking darkness program at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. These hybrids were derived from crossing primitive cultivated South American diploid species such as Solanum phureja or Solanum stenotomum and wild diploid species such as Solanum chacoense and other wild Argentine species with haploids of Solanum tuberosum. These hybrids have subsequently undergone up to 30 years of breeding and selection, for adaptation to local growing and storage conditions, processing traits and pest resistances. The objectives of this study were to estimate the level of genetic similarity (GS) among these sets of clones and to investigate the correlation between RAPD-based GS and f, based on pedigree information. Genetic similarity coefficients varied from 0.29 to 0.90 with a mean of 0.65 when based on the RAPD data, whereas the coefficient of parentage varied from zero to 0.75 with a mean of 0.11. The degree of relationship between the similarity matrices based on RAPD and pedigree was measured by comparing the similarity matrices with the normalized Mantel test. A low positive correlation (R=0.104, p=0.999) between the two matrices was observed. Cluster analysis using GS divided the clones into many subgroups that did not correspond well with the grouping based on pedigree. The level of genetic variation present in this set of potato clones is very high. Rigorous selection pressure aimed at different breeding purposes may result in the genetic differentiation of the clones from the same origin.