Molecular and Phenotypic Markers from Many Okra Genotypes were Used to Estimate the Genetic and Phenotypic Distances

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in the spring of 2021 in an open field in the Al-Mahmudiya district/Baghdad to study the genetic and phenotypic distance of a number of genotypes in okra using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and three replications. As replication contained 18 genotypes of okra, distributed randomly on 18 experimental units, with ten cultivars giving the symbols (O1-O10) and eight hybrids giving the symbols (O11-O18), and at the third true leaf Samples were taken from (18 genotypes) extract DNA and the ISSR method was used to estimate the genetic distance, and the plants agricultural service operations continued and traits of vegetative, flowering and yield growth of genotypes were studied to study the phenotypic distance between them. The results of the genetic distance based on ISSR technology demonstrated that there is a genetic distance between the genotypes of okra under study, with the highest genetic distance between the two genotypes O6 and O15 reaching 0.735. The O6 cultivar displayed a high genetic distance with the most of the other genotypes, as the O10 cultivar which displayed a high genetic distance with most of the other genotypes, which advises plant breeders to use them to create development single hybrids. The hybrids O11, O12, O13, O14, O15, O16, and O17 also demonstrated a high genetic distance with the cultivars O6, O7, O8, O9, and O10, which plant breeders can use it in breeding program to development three-way hybrids. The ISSR results divided into two groups A and B in the genetic Cluster dendogram. the findings of the statistical analysis of the phenotypic variables also revealed that there were significant differences between the genotypes in the measured traits. As the O4 cultivar produced the greatest values for plant height and leaf number, flowers number, pods number (169 pods ) and pod set percentage, The O10 cultivar produced the highest pod weight (5.29 g) and yield per plant (691 g), and the results of the genetic distance based on phenotypic traits demonstrated that there is a phenotypic distance between the genotypes, with the two genotypes O10 and O15 exhibiting the highest genetic distance based on phenotypic traits (371.96 ).as The genotypes were divided into two groups within the cluster analysis depended on phenotypic traits.