MOLECULAR DIVERSITY OF COMMON BEAN (PHASEOLUS VULGARIS L.) CULTIVARS

RAPD markers were used to evaluate genetic diversity among 8 common bean cultivars (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) that included six developed in Romania and two in CIAT Colombia. Only 4 of all the 8 random primers used in RAPD reactions showed polymorphism acceptable for an effective characterization of bean cultivars. These four primers (OPD-08, OPG-03, OPG-12, OPY-20) generated 33 DNA bands, of which 17 bands showing polymorphism (48.84%). On average, each primer generated 8.25 bands, of which 4.25 were polymorphic. Genetic distances were calculated using Nei&Li (1979) similarity coefficient, displayed in a dendrogram (UPGMA method). Cluster analysis based on RAPD amplification products divided genotypes in two main groups, according to their geographical origin. Genetic similarity vary greatly (60% - 96%), depending on the pairs of genotypes and on the groups.