Genetic relationship among 19 accessions of six species of Chenopodium L.,by Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA fragments (RAPD)

The RAPD technique was used to identify genetic relationships in 19 accessi ons, including six species of the genus Chenopodium. A dendrogram was const ructed using UPGMA from 399 DNA markers. The molecular data clustered speci es and accessions into five different groups. Group 1 with three cultivated varieties of C. nuttalliae, Group 2 included eight cultivars and two wild varieties of C. quinoa, Group 3 with C. berlandieri and C. album, Group 4 w ith two accessions of C, pallidicaule, and Group 5 with 2 accessions of C. ambrosioides. The polymorphic patterns generated by RAPD profiles showed di fferent degrees of genetic relationship among the species studied. A low le vel of intraspecific variation was found within the accessions of C. quinoa , C. nuttalliae, and C. pallidicaule. The RAPD markers were found to be a u seful tool for detecting genetic variation within the genus Chenopodium.