Genetic Diversity Study in Lentil ( Lens culinaris Medikus) Genotypes Using Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) Markers

Lentil has been a significant source of nutrition for human consumption for thousands of years. It commands the highest prices in Ethiopia compared to other leguminous crops and cereals. Nevertheless, little information is available about the genetic diversity study of lentils ( Lens culinaris Medikus) in the country. This research employed 13 SSR markers to analyze the genetic diversity of 96 lentil accessions, including 39 from national variety trials and 57 introduced breeding lines. The study identified a total of 73 alleles across all genotypes, using genome‐wide polymorphic SSR markers. Allelic distribution per locus ranged from three (SSR 48), up to seven (SSR 317‐1/2), and an average of about 5.6 alleles per locus. Polymorphic information content (PIC) and expected heterozygosity (He) showed notable variation, with PIC ranging from 0.59 to 0.78 and He from 0.62 to 0.79. The average PIC and He were 0.68 and 0.67, respectively, with the major allele frequency (MAF) of 0.36. This study revealed substantial genetic variation among lentil populations, and breeding lines display varying levels of diversity. In breeding programs, these markers can be used to select parents with desirable traits and to improve lentil varieties by identifying relationships among accessions.