GENETIC POLYMORPHISM IN ENDOGENOUS LANDRACES OF WILD OAT (AVENA FATUA L.) COLLECTED FROM AN UNEXPLORED AREA

The current study was conducted based on the morphological, biochemical, and SSR characterization of wild Oat (Avena fatua L.) genotypes collected from three different Districts of Malakand Division, Pakistan. A significant variance was observed across all twenty morphological parameters, indicating a high likelihood that breeding programs would introduce fresh variety into adapted oat cultivars. A substantial variation was also found for leaf length (32.55%) and stem diameter (28.33%), as compared to the number of spikelet (15.66%). The harvest index and plant height had a high and positive correlation (0.79**), while a negative correlation (-0.76**) was observed for plant height and plant biomass. All genotypes were arranged into three groups based on the cluster analysis, each having a Euclidian distance of 87%. A total of 15 bands were visible for the total seed storage proteins, out of which 10 were polymorphic and 5 were monomorphic. The entire dataset of 54 oat genotypes was split into 2 lineages (L-1 and L-2) based on two-way cluster analysis, with a genetic distance of 36.5% between them and further subdivided into three subgroups at 60% genetic distance. The SSR markers used in this study successfully amplified genomic regions from oat genotypes. Out of 5 SSRs, HVM62 showed the prominent polymorphism, and among eight alleles detected, two were monomorphic and six were polymorphic. Z48431 had the highest PIC value (0.93), followed by HVM62 (0.89). Band-14 had the highest PIC value at 0.90%, followed by bands 9 and 10 (0.80% and 0.50%, respectively). Bands 8, 11, 12, and 13 had the lowest PIC value, correspondingly. The overall findings showed a significant degree of variety in the oat genotypes growing in District Swat and Dir, which offers the potential for the introduction of distinctive diversity in well-adapted oat cultivars.