Genetic variability and inter species relationship between wild and cultivated yams (Dioscorea spp.) from Koraput, India based on molecular and morphological markers

Wild yams (Dioscorea spp.) are important tuber crops used both as vegetable and medicine by the tribal people of Koraput, India. There is deficiency of documented information on genetic structure and diversity of wild yams and its genetic assessment is necessary for crop improvement program. The present study assessed the level of genetic diversity of eight wild and one cultivated yam species of Koraput by using different morphological and molecular markers. Significant variation in different yield and morphological traits was observed among the studied yam species. The major morphological traits such as branch number, stem thickness, tuber depth, tuber length, number of tubers per plant and yield showed high genetic heritability accompanied with high genetic advance and major determinants of phenotypic diversity. Molecular profiling was carried out by taking five simple sequence repeat markers. A total of 10 polymorphic bands with an average of two were detected at the loci of the five markers across the nine yam species. Genetic similarity analysis revealed that some wild yam species such as D. oppositifolia, D. hamiltonii and D. pubera showed higher genetic similarity with cultivated (D. alata) species. The knowledge of the extent of genetic variations of wild yam species is important for planning of the genetic conservation and the utilization of this resource especially for genetic improvement.