Population structure and genetic diversity as revealed by SSR markers in Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinataA. Braun): a potential edible and industrially important oilseed crop

Brassica carinataA. Braun (Ethiopian mustard) is an oilseed crop belonging to rapeseed-mustard group, with extensive food and industrial applications. It produces high quality oil ideal for aviation fuel, bio-jet for aircrafts and bio-diesel for airport vehicles besides its use as edible oil. In an attempt to analyze population structure and genetic diversity in a panel of 78 Ethiopian mustard accessions, 212 SSR markers had been employed. A total of 139 (65.57%) SSRs resulted into polymorphic amplicons, while 73 (34.43%) SSRs amplified monomorphic products. The allele number ranged from 1-7 with 3.03 average number of alleles per marker. PIC values were in the range of 0.02-0.53 with an average PIC value of 0.29 per marker. Gene diversity ranged from 0.02 to 0.50 with an average value of 0.37 per SSR marker. Overall, lower PIC values and gene diversity values indicated the presence of lesser genetic diversity amongB. carinatagenotypes. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic average (UPGMA)-based dendrogram divided all the 78 accessions into two major groups, whereas, three subpopulations/subgroups were predicted by population STRUCTURE analysis. Further, this study provided a deeper insight into the population structure and genetic diversity of Ethiopian mustard in India and will help to improvise the breeding strategies for its genetic improvement.