IDENTIFICATION OF POTATO CULTIVARS AND CLONAL VARIANTS BY RANDOM AMPLIFIED POLYMORPHIC DNA ANALYSIS

Random Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs) were used to distinguish commercial potato cultivars and clonal variants of cultivars. Primer 131, one of four primers used, distinguished 30 of the 36 cultivars tested. All 36 commercial cultivars were distinguished using only two primers (131 and 184). The RAPD pattern of 20 unidentified potato cultivars was compared with known patterns of 36 cultivars. Each one of the 20 cultivars was correctly identified. Particular primers appear to produce greater numbers of both amplified DNA fragments and polymorphisms, and are therefore suited to RAPD identification of potato cultivars. Polymorphism was obtained between Russet Burbank Idaho D and Russet Burbank White Skin with primer 251 and between Viking and Purple Viking with primer 380. However, polymorphism was not observed between Norgold, Norland, Sebago and Superior clones using only 20 primers. The RAPD technique is much more likely to detect polymorphism, regardless of tissue or environmental factors, than isozyme analysis and is easier, less costly and faster than the RFLP procedure. Thus, RAPD analysis represents a highly useful method of distinguishing and identifying potato cultivars and clonal variants of cultivars.