Diversity of 33 Genotypes of Potato Revealed by Simple Sequence Repeats Markers

Genetic diversity analysis is essential for developing newly high-yielding potato varieties along with other important traits. Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) markers can be robust tools to assess the genetic diversity of this plant species because they are abundant in the genome, codominant, and more accurate than morphological markers. This study was carried out to quantify the genetic divergence of 29 elite potato varieties in Indonesia and 4 clones that originated from the United States using the 12 SSR markers and identify the potential genotypes for potato breeding programs. A total of 136 gene alleles were detected from 12 SSR markers. The number of alleles per marker ranged from 2 to 22, with an average value of 12.8. All SSR markers showed Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) of 0.66-0.92, with an average of 0.80, and an average value of genetic diversity of 0.82, indicating their high suitability for potato diversity studies. Clustering and principal coordinate analysis classified 33 genotypes into three groups with a coefficient of similarity of 0.76, indicating their high genetic variability. All clones originating from the United States belonged to the same group and separated from the other genotypes. This study gives an overview of the genetic diversity of the Indonesian potato and provides an initial basis of selection for appropriate parents to assist breeders efficiently in developing newly potato varieties with desired agricultural traits in Indonesia.