Analysis of genetic variability among plantain cultivars (Musa paradisiaca L.) using arbitrarily primed PCR technique

The genetic variability among 6 cultivars of plantain (Musa paradisiaca L.) grown in Jamaica and Nigeria was studied, using arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR) technique. The cultivars included Maiden plantains and Horse plantain grown in Jamaica: Bini, Ayo and Igbiya plantains grown in Nigeria. DNA fragment band positions were obtained with fragment sizes ranging from 0.438 to 1.926 kb. The single distance matrix calculations and the generated dendrogram revealed a clustering together of plantain cultivars across sources of propagation. The analysis showed that the plantain cultivars studied, were split into two clusters, One group consisted of Maiden plantains and Horse plantain from Jamaica and the second contained Bini, Ayo and Igbiya of Nigeria. Cultivars Ayo and Igbiya were closest while Horse and igbiya were one of the farthest apart, in genetic relatedness.