Relationships in pineapple by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was applied to eight comme rcial cultivars of pineapple. two intergroup hybrids and two wild species. Morphologically. pineapple is divided into the Cayenne, Queen, Spanish. Mai pure and Abacaxi groups, Members of the first three groups have been analys ed in this study. The cultivars 'Tradsithong'. 'Phuket'.`Sawes' and 'Tainan '. with spiny leaves, form the Queen group. In 'Pattavia'. 'Nanglae' and 'P etburi no. 2' (Cayenne group). spines are confined to the leaf tips. 'Intra chitdang' is normally placed in the Spanish group, which is morphologically similar to the Queen group, but with inferior quality fruit. DNA amplifica tion products were compared From 16 arbitrary 10-mer primers from which a d endrogram was constructed. The results confirmed morphological classificati ons for seven of the eight commercial cultivars. with the Queen and Cayenne groups as separate clusters, However, the cv. 'Intrachitdang' was more clo sely related to the Cayenne group. Two hybrids from reciprocal Cayenne x Qu een group crosses, were more closely allied to the Queen group. The two wil d species were outside the groups, RAPD analysis can be exploited to invest igate relationships within pineapple germplasm.