Assessment of the genetic diversity in plants using molecular markers: a review and perspective

The main reasons for food insecurity in the developing world are the rising global population, climate change, and decreasing amount of arable land. Hence, the significance of plant genetic diversity as a subject of research is universally considered important. A significant improvement in the field of molecular genetics includes the apposition of molecular markers for exploring and identifying plant genetic diversity. Molecular markers are now often used in plant breeding research, from identifying the genes that are responsible for the desirable traits to managing different backcrossing breeding strategies. They offer practical solutions to solve the challenges noted in agricultural genomics. In this review article, we have comprehensively reviewed the source of genetic diversity in plants. This review also describes and highlights the application of DNA markers AFLP, ASAP, ASO, CAPS, CAS, Cytoplasmic genome- derived-DNA markers, DGGE, ESTs, ISSR, SSR, RAPD, RBIP, and SNP, which can be used as reliable and efficient tools for identifying genetic diversity of plants.