Molecular Markers for Genetic Diversity Assessment in Cultivated Plants
Summary
Genetic diversity assessment underpins sustainable crop improvement, conservation of germplasm and protection of breeders’ rights. Molecular markers—ranging from restriction fragment length polymorphisms and random amplified polymorphic DNA to more recent simple sequence repeats and single nucleotide polymorphisms—enable precise profiling of allelic variation across genomes. Such markers facilitate the dissection of population structure, the identification of distinct cultivars and the monitoring of genetic purity in seed lots. Advances in high‐throughput sequencing have accelerated the discovery of expressed sequence tag–derived markers and genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphisms, expanding the toolkit for both major staples and speciality ornamentals. By revealing hidden diversity, these approaches guide marker‐assisted selection for traits such as disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance and quality attributes. Globally, the integration of diverse marker systems contributes to resilient agricultural systems, supports intellectual property protection and ensures the efficient management of plant genetic resources.
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Molecular Markers for Genetic Diversity Assessment in Cultivated Plants publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in molecular markers for genetic diversity assessment in cultivated plants across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Molecular marker: A DNA sequence with known location used to detect polymorphism among individuals.
Simple sequence repeat (SSR): A tandem repeat of short nucleotide motifs that exhibits high allelic variation.
Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP): A single base‐pair variation in genomic DNA among individuals.
Polymorphism information content (PIC): A metric reflecting the informativeness of a genetic marker based on allele number and frequency.
Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA): A clustering algorithm that constructs a dendrogram by averaging genetic distances between groups.
References
- Assessment of Genetic Diversity in the White-Colored Variants of Spray-Type Chrysanthemum Cultivars Using SSR Markers. Horticulturae (2023).
- Molecular characterization and validation of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) hybrids through SSR markers. PLOS ONE (2022).
- APPLICATIONS OF MOLECULAR MARKERS IN FRUIT BREEDING PROGRAMS DEVELOPMENT AT ICDP PITE?TI, ROMANIA - A REVIEW. FRUIT GROWING RESEARCH (2024).
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