PARENTAGE CONFIRMATION OF COTTON HYBRIDS USING MOLECULAR MARKERS

Abstract

Parentage of F1 hybrids of cotton was verified using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and microsattelite (SSR) assays. Out of 500 primers surveyed, 3 random and 3 EST based SSR primers were found polymorphic between two cotton parents (FH-883 and FH-631S). These highly informative primers not only differentiated the parent genotypes but also confirmed the parentage of their true F1 hybrids. Primer OPM-07 amplified two polymorphic loci designated as OPM07_800 and OPM07_925, while primers OPU-01 and OPV-01 amplified OPU01_850 and OPV01_650 alleles, respectively. Polymorphic SSRs were named as MGHES06_95, MGHES17_220 and MGHES24_230. DNA markers OPM07_925, OPU01_850, MGHES24_230 and one allele of MGHES06_95 were specific to FH-883, while the others markers were specific to FH-631S. Our findings revealed that RAPD and SSR procedures are excellent genomic tools for parentage confirmation and hybridity determination, and would also enhance efficiency of our breeding programmes through marker assisted selection.