Genetic diversity in tomato genotypes (Solanum lycopersicum) based on salinity responsive candidate gene using simple sequence repeats

Salinity inhibition of plant growth is the result of osmotic and ionic effect and different plant species have developed different mechanisms to cope with those effects. With the discovery of molecular markers and marker assisted selection technology, it is possible to develop markers that identify salt tolerance. The genetic diversity of tomato genotypes were analyzed using SSRs polymorphic markers and Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean. Leaves of the twenty tomato genotypes (landraces/accessions in Nigeria) were used to isolate their DNA using Bioland Plant Genomic DNA protocols. Primers were designed from 15 different salt responsive candidate genes, using Vector NTI and the sequence of the genes were obtained from ncbi genomic web site. All 15 primers sets generated shows clear distinct polymorphic profiles as evident from the 6% agarose gel profile. Dendrogram generated shows three groups, none of the panel intermixed in a subgroup. The genetic distance information reported in this study might be used by breeders when planning future crosses among tomato genotypes. From the result obtained UC82B recorded the highest vegetative and yield parameters, therefore, adoption of this genotype could be help to increase the tomato production in Sokoto agro-climatic area.