GENETIC DIVERSITY IN COMMERCIAL VARIETIES OF CAVENDISH AS REVEALED BY POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION (PCR)

Abstract

The study aimed at investigating the genetic diversity of six different commercial varieties of Cavendish using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. The total DNA extracted by Gawel N.J. and Jarret R.L. (1991) method from the young leaf sample was amplified by successive PCR cycles. Using ten different primers, the amplified DNA solution was subjected to agarose gel electrophoresis. The result establishes that the genetic relation of these varieties is the same and similar with that of the Tiêu hồng collected from The Fruit Institute (over 85%) but it is different from that of Già Đài Loan. In addition, there are only five different positions (less than 2%) in the chloroplast DNA sequencing of the trnF-trnL gene of these varieties. The result shows that these Cavendish varieties have the same descent. The DNA sequence of the trnF-trnL gene of Laba (H2) is completely similar with that of Siamea (Thailand), Burmanicoides (Myanmar), Malaccensis (Malaysia) proves that Laba is not the endemic variety in Lamdong.