GENETIC DIVERSITY OF JATROPHA TANJORENSIS J.L ELLIS & SAROJA ACCESSIONS FROM FOUR STATES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Sixteen accessions comprising sixty-four cultivars of Jatropha tanjorensis were collected from four states (Lagos, Edo, Ogun, and Oyo) in Nigeria. The J. tanjorensis accessions were transplanted on the field at a depth of 8 cm in perforated polythene bags filled with 10 kg of dried sandy-loam soil. The experiment was arranged in a complete randomized design with four replicates. The young leaves and roots from two-week-old plants were collected for DNA extraction. Five primer combinations were used, generating a total of 180 polymorphic amplifications across the J. tanjorensis accessions, achieving 100% polymorphism. Accessions JTshOg, JTaoOg, and JTowOg exhibited superior growth characteristics and performed best in the study. These accessions can be further improved for optimal productivity. The number of amplified polymorphic SSR bands per primer pair ranged from 18 to 80, with an average polymorphic percentage of 36.4%. The SSR20 primer produced the highest number of polymorphic bands (80). The Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) values ranged from 0.35 to 0.84, with the highest level of polymorphism observed for two primer combinations, SSR20 (0.84) and JCT7C (0.78). Factorial coordinate analysis based on molecular traits grouped the accessions into four clusters (I, II, III, and IV), highlighting genetic similarities and differences. This indicates the presence of substantial genetic variation among the accessions..