Variation in Phenotypic and Genotypic Characteristics of Yam Zygotic Seeds Raised In Drip System Hydroponics
Abstract
Ossai, C.O., Shonde, T.E. ,Edemodu, A,, Udofia, F.A,, Olusola, T., Balogun, M.O.
Yam is traditionally propagated using the tuber part (seed yam) as the use of yam seed is constrained by the non-syn- chronization of flowering and the rare occurrence of zygotic seed production will generate segregation in the offsprings (not true-to-type) theoretically. However, there is dearth of information on the validation of this theory in practical terms. This study, thus evaluates individual zygotic seeds of 2 improved open pollinated improved varieties (TDr 98/00917 and TDr 95/00893 x TDr 95/00903) and one landrace (TDr 3010). Ten zygotic seeds of the three accessions were planted in hydroponics trough containing buffered and moistened cocopeat substrate. The individual plants were phenotyped following standard operating procedures. DNAs were extracted from young fresh leaves at 6 weeks old and were used for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with 10 codominant SSR markers. The PCR bands were scored based on presence and absence. The phenotypic and genotypic scores were used to generate a dendogram and principal clusters. Result obtained revealed varied clustering arrangements among the individual plants, irrespectively of the accessions in both phenotypic and genotypic dendograms. This reveals the differences that exists between individual plants of same accession.