Genetic variability in Russian wildrye (Psathyrostachys juncea) assessed by RAPD

To assess the genetic variation within and among accessions of Russian wildrye (Psathyrostachys juncea), 88 individuals of 11 accessions originated from geographically diverse locations were analyzed using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Under the optimized condition, 56% of the 200 tested primers produced polymorphic RAPDs among accessions. High level RAPD marker variations existed both within and among accessions. About 56% and 44% of the amplified fragments were polymorphic within and among accessions, respectively. Accessions from neighboring geographical regions are more similar than those from distant regions. These results are comparable with those obtained from studies on chromosome C-banding and isozyme electrophoresis.