GENETIC VARIABILITY AND CLASSIFICATION OF INDONESIAN YAMS (Dioscorea spp.) BASED ON RAPD ANALYSIS

Thirty-two Indonesian yam cultivars comprising 24 cultivars of water yam (D. alata), 3 cultivars of D. esculenta, and 5 species Dioscorea were analyzed for genetic variability by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. The results showed that water yam cultivars were distinct, compared to the other Dioscorea species. Water yam cultivars from Sumatera, Java, Kalimantan and Celebes formed a different group compared to Moluccas, West Papua and Nusa Tenggara that have high genetic similarity. Water yam cultivars from Sumatera, Java, Kalimantan and Celebes consist of 'green' and 'purplish-red' group cultivars. The 'green' group cultivar has 3 subgroups namely: 'white ovate-irregular', 'white-yellow short-long cylindrical' and 'white flesh bottle' tuber. The 'purplishred' cultivar group has 3 subgroups: 'yellow-purple ovate-cylindrical', 'yellow ovate-oblong' and 'white with purple ring tuber flesh' cultivars. The specific characteristics of D. alata 'green' group cultivar are light to dark brown tuber skin, and purple for 'purplish-red' cultivar group. D. cyllindrica, Dioscorea sp. and D. hispida have high similarity on RAPD marker, with cylindrical stem and spine; while ubiopa' (Central Celebes) and gembili (Java) morphologically including to D. esculenta.