ANALYSIS OF GENETIC DIVERSITY IN CLAVICEPS-PURPUREA BY RAPD MARKERS

Twenty-nine field isolates of the broad host range pathogen Claviceps purpurea from various host plants and different geographical origin we re compared by RAPD analysis. The RAPD patterns obtained showed consid erable diversity; it was even possible to discriminate ail strains tes ted with single primers, indicating an unusual high degree of genetic diversity within this species. A parsimony analysis using the PAUP sof tware grouped most strains from specific host plants together, indicat ing some degree of host specificity in this fungus. Those strains deri ved from rye seem to be genetically less diverse than those from other host plants. However, the geographic origin also seems to be importan t.