Genetic diversity of Coffea arabica in Ethiopia based on nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS sequences

Coffea arabica L. (arabica coffee) is originally indigenous to the mountains of the southwestern highlands in Ethiopia, representing the majority of the world's coffee production and having a significant contribution to Ethiopia's economy. The present paper was conducted to determine the genetic diversity of arabica coffee in Ethiopia for its conservation and breeding values based on the nucleonic ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (nrDNA ITS) region sequence. Seventeen varieties were collected from 9 countries all around the world among which 8 represented varieties in Ethiopia. Among the varieties, the highest diversity was recorded in the variety Ethiopia Hara Gold Bean (HG) and Ethiopia Sidamo (ES). High sequence variation also appeared among other varieties, suggesting that the genetic variation in arabica coffee was significant enough for good genetic conservation and breeding programs. This work not only provided more sequences of the nrDNA ITS region of C. arabica but also provided the basis for the clearer variety discrimination in Ethiopia.