Genetic Diversity of Some Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes Using SSR Markers Associated with Drought

This study aimed to assess the genetic diversity of 32 bread wheat genotypes using SSR markers associated with drought. In the study, 10 SSR primers were applied to all genotypes; BARC 024, WMC 9, and WMC 603 showed monomorphic patterns, while seven primers were polymorphic. In total, 25 polymorphic alleles were detected, with the number of alleles per locus ranging from 2 to 6 and a mean of 3.6 alleles per SSR locus. PIC (Polymorphic Information Content) values ranged from 0.31 to 0.97, with a mean value of 0.70. The lowest and highest values were obtained from Xbarc17 and Xbarc12, respectively. The dendrogram was constructed using UPGMA analysis, and the bread wheat genotypes were divided into three groups. Cluster I is further divided into two sub-clusters, Ia and Ib. Cluster II is further divided into two other sub-clusters, IIa and IIb. The pair-wise genetic dissimilarity indices revealed a minimum difference index of 0.083 and a maximum of 0.800 between genotypes. Bayraktar 2000 and LR5 and LR6 showed genetic similarity to the drought-tolerant cultivar Gerek 79, whereas BL8 and the drought-sensitive cultivar Bezostaja 1 (C10) showed the greatest genetic distance. Sertak52 (C5) and BL7 and BL4 showed genetic similarity to the drought-tolerant cultivar Bayraktar 2000, while BL6 and Bezostaja 1 (C10) showed the greatest genetic distance. BL1, BL3, and BL5 showed genetic similarity to the drought-sensitive cultivar Bezostaja 1, whereas LR1, LR2, LR5, and LR6 showed the greatest genetic distance. Overall, the genotypes and SSR markers used in this study provide preliminary data for future breeding and genetic studies related to drought-associated traits.