VARIATION IN CAPSICUM-ANNUUM REVEALED BY RAPD AND AFLP MARKERS

Genetic relationships were examined among thirty-four pepper (Capsicum annuum) cultivars of different types. Two types of PCR-based markers were used, RAPD and AFLP, and their relative effectiveness was compare d. A dendrogram based on RAPD markers separated the large-fruited swee t cultivars from the small-fruited pungent peppers, and the former gro up showed less divergence than the latter. The percentage of polymorph ic markers was lower for AFLP than for RAPD markers (13 and 22% respec tively). However, AFLP primers amplified on average six times more pro ducts than RAPD markers. The average numbers of polymorphic products p er primer were 1.6 and 6.5 for RAPD and AFLP primers, respectively, i. e., AFLP primers were four times more efficient than RAPD primers in t heir ability to detect polymorphism in pepper. While four blocky type cultivars were indistinguishable by RAPD, two AFLP primer pairs were s ufficient to distinguish the four cultivars from each other.