African Journal of
Plant Science

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Plant Sci.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0824
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJPS
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 816

Full Length Research Paper

Assessing the genetic diversity of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] accessions from Sudan using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers

Ali Z. B.*
  • Ali Z. B.*
  • Plant Genetic Resources Unit-Agricultural Research Corporation, P. O. Box 126 Wad Medani-Sudan.
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YAO K. N.
  • YAO K. N.
  • Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa ? International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI Hub), P. O. Box 30709, Nairobi, Kenya.
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Odeny D. A.
  • Odeny D. A.
  • International Crops Research Institute for the semi-arid Tropics - Nairobi (ICRISAT- Nairobi), Kenya.
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Kyalo M.
  • Kyalo M.
  • Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa ? International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI Hub), P. O. Box 30709, Nairobi, Kenya.
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Skilton R.
  • Skilton R.
  • Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa ? International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI Hub), P. O. Box 30709, Nairobi, Kenya.
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Eltahir I. M.
  • Eltahir I. M.
  • Plant Genetic Resources Unit-Agricultural Research Corporation, P. O. Box 126 Wad Medani-Sudan.
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  •  Received: 05 May 2015
  •  Accepted: 14 July 2015
  •  Published: 31 July 2015

Abstract

Genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among 252 cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.)Walp) accessions collected throughout the six geographical regions of Sudan were evaluated using simple sequence repeat (SSR) molecular markers. Eighteen (18) published primer pairs were selected based on their informativeness, out of which 16 primer pairs gave reproducible results among all of the cowpea accessions tested. A total of 129 alleles were detected from the 16 loci with an average of 8.1 alleles per locus. Heterozygosity values ranged from 0.01 to 0.13 with an average occurrence of 0.05 while the gene diversity ranged from 0.34 to 0.85 with an average of 0.60. The polymorphism information content (PIC) varied from 0.33 to 0.83 with an average of 0.56. Sudanese Cowpea germplasm clustered into three main groups with control germplasm obtained from the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) showing distribution along two groups. This study confirms earlier suggestions that cowpea was first introduced into Sudan from West African countries into western Sudan (Kordofan and Darfur) regions. Accession TVU 8812-IITA Benin was found to be the most divergent cowpea accession within the individuals followed by accession HSD 5738 Sudan-Blue Nile and HSD 6782 Sudan-South Kordofan.

 

Key words: Simple sequence repeat, microsatellites, genetic diversity, cowpea.

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This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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