Diversity among landraces of Indian snapmelon (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cucumis melo</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">momordica</Emphasis>)

Diversity among 36 snapmelon landraces, collected from 2 agro-ecological regions of India (9 agro-climatic sub-regions), was assayed using RAPD primers, morphological traits of plant habit and fruit, 2 yield-associated traits, pest and disease resistance and biochemical composition (TSS, ascorbic acid, titrable acidity). Typical differences among accessions were observed in plant and fruit characteristics and snapmelon germplasm with high titrable acidity and possessing resistance to downy mildew, Cucumber mosaic virus, Zucchini yellow mosaic virus, Papaya ringspot virus, Aphis gossypii and Meloidogyne incognita was noticed in the collection. RAPD based grouping analysis revealed that Indian snapmelon was rich in genetic variation and region and sub-region approach should be followed across India for acquisition of additional melon landraces. Accessions of var. agrestis and var. momordica clustered together and there was a separate cluster of the accessions of var. reticulatus. Comparative analysis of the genetic variability among Indian snapmelons and an array of previously characterized reference accessions of melon from Spain, Israel, Korea, Japan, Maldives, Iraq, Pakistan and India using SSRs showed that Indian snapmelon germplasm contained a high degree of unique genetic variability which was needed to be preserved to broaden the genetic base of melon germplasm available with the scientific community. N. P. S. Dhillon and Ranjana contributed equally to this work and are considered the first authors.     

Analysis of Genetic Variation Among Accessions of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pueraria montana</Emphasis> (Lour.) Merr. var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">lobata</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pueraria phaseoloides</Emphasis> (Roxb.) Benth. based on RAPD Markers

Pueraria montana var. lobata and P. phaseoloides originating from tropical Asia and parts of Oceania are ecologically and economically important legumes that are used as green manure, cover crop or forage plants. Conservation and use of plant genetic resources require an understanding of the extent and distribution of genetic diversity in any given region. In this study, genetic variation of five P. montana var. lobata and 16 P. phaseoloides accessions was analysed developing a random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker methodology for Pueraria species and thereby creating basic data for follow-up research and the development of conservation strategies. Seeds were collected from native populations in Bac Kan Province, a mountainous region in Northeast Vietnam. P. montana var. lobata presented a high level of variation with 54.3% of the detected markers being polymorphic, whereas P. phaseoloides exhibited an intermediate to high level of variation (45.5%). The P. montana var. lobata accessions clustered in congruence with their eco-geographical origin. For P. phaseoloides no correspondence between sampling sites and genetic differentiation was found. Inter-population differentiation was measured as Jaccard's similarity coefficient (JSC). Mean JSC amounted to 0.35 in P. montana var. lobata and 0.52 in P. phaseoloides. Results are compared to other genetic studies of herbaceous legumes and conservation strategies are suggested.     

Characterization of intergeneric hybrids of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Erianthus rockii</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharum</Emphasis> using molecular markers

Erianthus rockii, a wild relative of sugarcane, is drought and cold tolerant, and both are potentially important agronomic traits to the sugarcane industry worldwide. As such it is of interest as a source of parental germplasm to sugarcane breeders and is currently being used in sugarcane introgression programs in both China and Australia. To date morphological characters have been used to verify the putative hybrids produced. Two crosses were generated between two different Saccharum species and two E. rockii accessions. Over 400 AFLP markers were used to identify the intergeneric hybrid progeny as well as determine hybrid diversity. Both crosses generated hybrids but efficiency levels were very different and are probably related to the different Saccharum parent used in each cross. Cross 1 was between a Saccharum officinarum and E. rockii and generated 100% hybrid progeny. Cross 2, however, was between a sugarcane hybrid (S. officinarum × Saccharum spontaneum) and E. rockii and only 10% of the progeny were intergeneric hybrids. Inheritance of markers in the progeny was analysed and for both crosses there were equal numbers of markers from both parents indicating n + n transmission of chromosomes. This is the first verification of E. rockii hybrids with molecular markers. It may now be possible to exploit genes of value from E. rockii in sugarcane breeding programs.     

Genetic diversity of Syrian pistachio (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pistacia vera</Emphasis> L.) varieties evaluated by AFLP markers

Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) is a strategic nut tree species in the Middle East which holds comparative advantage over other fruit trees in view of its hardiness, income generation opportunities and benefits for the ecosystem. Yet pistachio cultivation depends on a very narrow genetic base, in spite of the existence of many varieties still marginally exploited. Syria is an important center of diversity for pistachio. A country wide ecogeographic survey in this country was carried out to determine the extent of pistachio genetic diversity and its use. As a whole, 114 accessions were collected from 37 farms to assess diversity at morphological and molecular level. Molecular evaluation was carried out using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) technique and performed using seven primer pair combinations. Results from the studies allowed the identification of 25 pistachio female varieties in Syria, some of which unique and described for the first time. Three groups of pistachio diversity were identified by cluster analysis which provides useful information about the distribution of genetic diversity in Syria for enhanced use and sustainable conservation.     

Dispersal of durum wheat [<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum turgidum</Emphasis> L. ssp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">turgidum</Emphasis> convar. <Emphasis Type="Italic">durum</Emphasis> (Desf.) MacKey] landraces across the Mediterranean basin assessed by AFLPs and microsatellites

A comprehensive characterization of crop germplasm is critical to the optimal improvement of the quality and productivity of crops. Genetic relationships and variability were evaluated among 63 durum wheat landraces from the Mediterranean basin using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) and microsatellites markers. The genetic diversity indices found were comparable to those of other crop species, with average polymorphism information content (PIC) values of 0.24 and 0.70 for AFLP and microsatellites, respectively. The mean number of alleles observed for the microsatellites loci was 9.15. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling clustered the accessions according to their geographical origin with the landraces from the South shore of the Mediterranean Sea closely related. The results support two dispersal patterns of durum wheat in the Mediterranean basin, one through its north side and a second one through its south side.     

Aspects of the evolution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nicotiana tabacum</Emphasis> L. and the status of the United States <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nicotiana</Emphasis> Germplasm Collection

The genus Nicotiana is a member of the nightshade (Solanaceae) family, and is comprised of 70 currently recognized, naturally occurring species. Genetic variability within N. tabacum L., the species of primary economic importance, was likely affected by several genetic bottlenecks. Nicotiana tabacum is a classic amphidiploid that arose after chance interspecific hybridization between N. sylvestris Spegazinni et Comes and a member of section Tomentosae, likely N. tomentosiformis Goodspeed, N. otophora Grisebach, or an introgressive hybrid between the two. Only a fraction of the genetic variability that existed in the diploid progenitor gene pools probably entered into N. tabacum. Genetic drift, coupled with natural and human selection, subsequently resulted in the formation of narrow genetic pools corresponding to modern commercial market classes. Genetic variability in Nicotiana has gained increased attention in recent years because of investment in Nicotiana genomics research, interest in development of tobacco products with reduced harm characteristics, and concentration on using Nicotiana species for plant-based production of commercially useful proteins. A storehouse of genetic diversity for N. tabacum is available in approximately 1,900 accessions maintained by the United States Nicotiana Germplasm Collection. Seeds of 224 accessions representing 59 wild Nicotiana species are also maintained. The collection is currently maintained by North Carolina State University and is part of the United States National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS). The collection’s curator satisfies hundreds of seed requests made annually by scientists using Nicotiana germplasm for basic biological investigations and by researchers in the area of applied tobacco science.     

Genetic diversity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">rbc</Emphasis>L gene in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Elymus trachycaulus</Emphasis> complex and their phylogenetic relationships to several Triticeae species

Elymus trachycaulus complex species are known for their morphological variability, but little is known about their genetic basis. The phylogenetic relationships among the E. trachycaulus complex, and their systematic relation to other species in Triticeae remain unknown. Nucleotide diversity of ribulose-1,5 bisphosphate-carboxylase (rbcL) gene in E. trachycaulus complex species and several other Triticeae was first characterized and compared. A primary conclusion of the present study is that nucleotide diversity for rbcL gene in E. trachycaulus species was detected with the estimates of nucleotide diversity θ = 0.00039 and π = 0.00043. The estimate of nucleotide diversity in rbcL gene for species with different genome constitution here ranged from 0.00099 (π) and 0.00099 (θ) for the species with Ns genome to 0.00226 (π) and 0.00291 (θ) for the species with St genome. The phylogenetic relationships of these species were assessed using these rbcL sequences. A total of 47 variable positions including 19 parsimony-informative sites were detected among 24 accessions of 18 species/subspecies. The species with St, H/I and Ns genomes well separated from each other, and formed a three distinct clades with higher bootstrap values support for both Parsimony and NJ analyses. The St genome containing species is sister group of H/I genome containing species. Our result confirms that Pseudoroegneria is the maternal genome donor to these Elymus species studied here, regardless of their distribution. Elymus trachycaulus complex are more related to each other than to E. glaucescens, E. patagonicus, and E. solandri. This study suggested that Elymus species with StH genomes may form from multiple closely related sets of donors.     

Genetic diversity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nelumbo</Emphasis> accessions revealed by RAPD

Total 65 lotus accessions in genus Nelumbo mainly collected from China, were subjected to random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers to estimate the genetic diversity and to test the genetic basis of the relationships between morphotypes and molecular markers. Seventeen primers generated a total of 195 highly reproducible and discernible loci, among which 173 were polymorphic. Percent polymorphism varied from 66.7 to 100 with an average of 88.72, and five primers out of them, OPC05, OPG10, OPN20, OPP09 and OPS17, showed 100% polymorphism. A relatively high genetic diversity was detected among all the samples with the similarity coefficient values ranging from 0.45 to 0.85, and Nei’s gene diversity (h) 0.30, and Shannon index (I) 0.46. The UPGMA dendrogram clustered 65 accessions in four clusters and the clustering pattern showed two groups, N. nucifera ssp. nucifera and those accessions related to the American lotus, and some special cultivars, landraces, hybrids and the American lotus. Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCA) further indicated that the genetic diversity of Nelumbo accessions was not evenly distributed, instead, was presented by a clustered distribution pattern. Similar to the results revealed by the dendrogram, two main groups representing the two subspecies of N. nucifera, as well as some special landraces, cultivars of Chinese lotus, the Japanese lotus and hybrids out of the two groups were obtained. Neither the UPGMA dendrogram nor the PCA analysis exhibited strict relationship with geographic distribution and morphotypes among the accessions.     

AFLP similarities among historic Danish cultivars of fodder beet (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Beta vulgaris</Emphasis> L. subsp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">vulgaris</Emphasis>var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">rapacea</Emphasis> Koch)

Dead seeds of a fodder beet cultivar ‘Elvetham’ stored under ambient conditions since 1880 were compared to a homonymous sample preserved in an on-farm situation in Denmark. DNA was isolated from single seeds and successfully applied to Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) analysis of the accessions. Six primer pairs were used to determine the similarity between the two accessions based on 112 polymorphic bands. Furthermore, similarity among seven cultivars of fodder beets representing the main types used in Scandinavia at the end of the 19th century was determined. This analysis was based on 152 polymorphic bands. Differentiation among the seven cultivars was determined to a mean G _ST value of 0.438, while G _ST between the two ‘Elvetham’ accessions was 0.266. A principal coordinate analysis based on jaccards similarity index illustrates that the two ‘Elvetham’ accessions are different from each other. The differentiation is higher than the value found between two separate ‘Eckerndorfer’ accessions. The results indicate that the cultivated accession has changed. Additionally, the value of applying old dead seed material for documentation in gene banks is demonstrated. During the analysis it was found that DNA isolated from seeds and leaves behaved differently in the AFLP process, however, the two fractions assigned to their common accession.     

Genetic Diversity of the Greater Yam (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dioscorea alata</Emphasis> L.) and Relatedness to <Emphasis Type="Italic">D. nummularia</Emphasis> Lam. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">D. transversa</Emphasis> Br. as Revealed with AFLP Markers

Amplified fragment length polymorphism markers were used to assess the genetic relatedness between Dioscorea alata and nine other edible Dioscorea. These species include D. abyssinica Hoch., D. bulbifera L., D. cayenensis-rotundata Lamk. et Poir., D. esculenta Burk., D. nummularia Lam., D. pentaphylla L., D. persimilis Prain. et Burk., D. transversa Br. and D. trifida L. Four successive studies were conducted with emphasis on the genetic relationship within D. alata and among species of the Enantiophyllum section from Vanuatu. Study 1 was carried out to select a set of polymorphic primer pairs using 11 combinations and eight species belonging to five distinct sections. The four most polymorphic primer pairs were used in study 2 among six species of the Enantiophyllum section. Study 3 focussed mainly on the genetic relationship among 83 accessions of D. alata, mostly from Vanuatu (78 acc.) but also from Benin, Guadeloupe, New Caledonia and Vietnam. The ploidy level of 53 accessions was determined and results indicated the presence of tetraploid, hexaploid and octoploid cultivars. Study 4, included 35 accessions of D. alata, D. nummularia and D. transversa and was conducted using two primer pairs to verify the taxonomical identity of the cultivars `langlang', `maro' and `netsar' from Vanuatu. The overall results indicated that each accession can be fingerprinted uniquely with AFLP. D. alata is an heterogeneous species which shares a common genetic background with D. nummularia and `langlang', `maro' and `netsar'. UPGMA cluster analysis revealed the existence of three major groups of genotypes within D. alata, each assembling accessions from distant geographical origins and different ploidy levels. The analysis also revealed that `langlang', `maro' and `netsar' clustered together with the cultivar `wael' (D. transversa) from New Caledonia. Results are discussed in the paper.     

Comparison of genetic variation among accessions of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aegilops tauschii</Emphasis> using AFLP and SSR markers

Genetic diversity of 54 accessions of Aegilops tauschii from five countries was assessed using sequence-tagged microsatellites (or simple sequence repeats, SSRs) and amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs). In the case of AFLP analysis, a total of 256 amplification products obtained, 234 of them were polymorphic across all the 54 accessions. A total of 224 fragments were obtained from the 24 SSR primers and 219 of fragments were polymorphic across all the genotypes screened. Based on both AFLP and SSR markers, the highest percentage of polymorphisms were obtained in Iranian and accessions of unknown origin. The highest polymorphic information content (PIC) value was observed for SSRs (0.82) while the highest marker index (MI) value was for AFLPs (8.5) reflecting the hyper-variability of the first and the distinctive nature of the second system. Principal co-ordinate analysis (PCO) revealed congruent patterns of genetic relationships for both data sets, but did not group accessions strictly according to their geographical origins. Poor correlation was found between AFLP and SSR marker loci. This low association may be due to low number of AFLP and SSR markers. These results show that molecular markers can help to organize the genetic variability and expose useful diversity for breeding purposes.     

Isozyme Variation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Passiflora</Emphasis> Subgenus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tacsonia</Emphasis>: Geographic and Interspecific Differentiation Among the Three Most Common Species

In a general study of banana passion fruit genetic resources, diversity was analyzed in the two main cultigens, P. tripartita var. mollissima and P. tarminiana, and their closest wild relative, P. mixta, scoring isozyme bands (IDH,PGM,ACP,PGD,DIA,andPRX) on288 plants from 31 accessions. Polymorphismandallelic richness, Nei diversity indices, and neighbor joining clustering showed that variation was poor in the cultigens in northern and central Colombia, while P. mixta appeared much more polymorphic. The populations of P. tripartita var. mollissima and P. mixta from southern Colombia and Ecuador show higher diversity values and are clearly differentiated from those of central and northern Colombia. This geographic component of variation is even stronger than the interspecific one, which suggests a close relation and a regular gene flow between these two species. In contrast, all the accessions of P. tarminiana constitute a clearly differentiated group, even if some introgression with P. tripartita var. mollissima is also suspected. The high variation observed in the southern region indicates the proximity of a center of diversity for banana passion fruit and collecting in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia is recommended. The high diversity of P. mixta and the evidence of gene flow with P. tripartita var. mollissima constitute a favorable context for the implementation of in situ conservation strategies.     

Characterization of Portuguese populations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vitis vinifera</Emphasis> L. ssp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">sylvestris</Emphasis> (Gmelin) Hegi

Wild populations of Vitis vinifera L.␣have been located in Portugal. Morphological characterization was carried out in three populations located in Alcácer do Sal, Castelo Branco, and Montemor-o-Novo, and then compared using multivariate discriminant analysis. These populations were from three different hydrological basins, therefore cross-pollination was not possible. It was verified that in each population all plants were different. The data suggest that the frequency of female and male plants is rather variable in wild populations. The morphology of the adult leaf, from the Alcácer do Sal population, had particular features when compared with Castelo Branco and Montemor-o-Novo populations, which were more homogeneous. The length of teeth compared with width at the end of the base, and the density of prostrate hairs between and on main veins (lower side) were the variables which allowed the best discrimination among populations.     

Seed inoculation with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus</Emphasis> spp. improves seedling vigour in oil-seed plant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Jatropha curcas</Emphasis> L.

Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) is a non-edible oil-seed plant with adaptability to marginal semi-arid lands and wastelands. The Indian Government is promoting jatropha to reduce dependence on the crude oil and to achieve energy independence by the year 2012, under the National Biodiesel Mission. Selected strains of Bacillus spp., either supplemented with or without chitin, were tested for their ability to promote growth of jatropha seedlings in pot culture studies. The strains supported growth of jatropha seedlings up to 42 days after sowing. Among all strains, Bacillus pumilus (IM-3) supplemented with chitin showed over all plant growth promotion effect resulting in enhanced shoot length (113%), dry shoot mass (360%), dry root mass (467%), dry total plant mass (346%), leaf area (256%), and chlorophyll content (74%) over control. Treating seeds with strain IM-3 without chitin resulted in enhanced dry shoot mass (473%), dry total plant mass (407%), and chlorophyll content (82%). However, Bacillus polymyxa (KRU-22) with chitin supported maximum root length (143%). Either strain IM-3 alone or in combination with other promising strains could be promoted further for enhanced initial seedling growth of jatropha.     

Production and analysis of reciprocal hybrids between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Asparagus officinalis</Emphasis> L. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">A. schoberioides</Emphasis> Kunth

The genus Asparagus (Asparagaceae) encompasses 100–300 species, including the important vegetable crop, A. officinalis (garden asparagus). Previous attempts to hybridize garden asparagus with A. densiflorus (Kunth) Jessop, with the aim of introducing disease resistance, were unsuccessful because of the failure of endosperm development. In the present study, reciprocal interspecific hybrids between garden asparagus and A. schoberioides Kunth were generated by hand pollination. The F1 hybrids were analyzed by using both morphological and molecular techniques. This is the first report describing the production of an interspecific hybrid between garden asparagus at the diploid level (2n = 2x = 20) and its diploid (2n = 2x = 20) wild relative, A. schoberioides. Morphological characteristics of candidate hybrids were a mixture of those found in the parents, and cytological and RFLP analyses confirmed that morphologically intermediate plants were indeed diploid hybrids of those two species. In other words, post-zygotic isolation is not complete between phylogenetically distinct these two species. Our results suggest that other Asparagus species may be capable of hybridizing with A. officinalis and that introducing wild characters through interspecific hybridization may offer advantages for breeding for novel traits. Takuro Ito and Toshinori Ochiai authors are contributed equally to this work     

Genetic diversity and conservation of two endangered eggplant relatives (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum vespertilio</Emphasis> Aiton and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum lidii</Emphasis> Sunding) endemic to the Canary Islands

Solanum vespertilio Aiton and Solanum lidii Sunding are endemic, endangered wild species from the Canary Islands. These species are of potential value for eggplant (S. melongena) breeding, given that they are part of the secondary genepool of this crop. We study genetic diversity with amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) markers from 5 populations of S. vespertilio (47 samples) and 3 of S. lidii (26 samples). Five related African species (S. dasyphyllum Schumach. et Thonn., S. delagoense Dunal, S. campylacanthum Hochst., S. panduriforme E. Mey, S. aff. violaceum Ortega) were also included in the analysis. A total of 235 AFLP markers included 178 and 156 that were polymorphic in S. vespertilio and S. lidii, respectively. Analysis of genetic distance, phenograms, and principal component plots showed that these rare Canarian species are differentiated (G _ST = 0.412) from the continental materials and that Solanum vespertilio is more distinct to its African congeners than is S. lidii. There is a relatively high level of differentiation between the two species (G _ST = 0.373), that presumably reflects geographic restrictions (S. lidii to Gran Canaria; S. vespertilio essentially to Tenerife). However, both species have similar levels of total diversity. We speculate that the combination of the many unusual reproductive features (andromonoecy, zygomorphy, heteranthery and weak enantiostyly in S. vespertilio) help explain genetic diversity that is high for self compatible species. The high genetic diversity may also indicate populations were larger in the past. A decrease in population size could contribute to the relatively low genetic differentiation among the populations. The data presented herein provide the foundation for initiation of ex situ and in situ conservation programs for these wild relatives of eggplant. This paper is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Richard N. Lester, who made significant contributions to the taxonomy, biosystematics and conservation of genetic resources of African species of Solanum.     

Sources of Resistance to Stem Rust (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Puccinia graminis</Emphasis> f. sp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">tritici</Emphasis>) in Ethiopian Tetraploid Wheat Accessions

Seedlings of 41 emmer (Triticum dicoccon Schrank) and 56 durum (T. durum Desf.) wheat accessions were evaluated for their response to stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) infection under greenhouse condition at Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center, Ethiopia. The objectives were to identify tetraploid wheat accessions that could serve as sources of resistance to stem rust, and postulate the stem rust (Sr) resistance genes through multipatotype testing. The test included screening of accessions for stem rust resistance and multipatotype testing. To ensure vigorous screening, a mixture of six isolates (Si-1a, Am-2, Ku-3, Dz-4a, Ro-4 and Na-22) that were collected from severely infected emmer, durum, and bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties of major wheat growing areas of Ethiopia was used as inocula. Out of the tested accessions, 18 emmer and 6 durum accessions exhibited low infection types (0–2) response and hence selected as a source of resistance to stem rust infection. Multipatotype testing was done to postulate Sr genes in the selected accessions. In the test, 10 different stem rust races (A2, A9, A11, A14, A16, A17, B3, B7, B15, and B21), 33 stem rust differential lines, and a universal susceptible check variety, Morocco were used, The high (3–4) and low infection type reaction patterns of the tested accessions and differential lines were used to postulate the genes that exhibit gene-for-gene relationship. The presence of Sr 7b, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10, 14, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and Tt-3+10 genes were postulated in 16 selected emmer and 5 durum wheat accessions. Efforts to transfer these valuable Sr genes from cultivated tetraploid wheats could be rewarding to get stem rust resistant varieties and boost wheat production.     

Genetic diversity of wild banana (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Musa balbisiana</Emphasis> Colla) in China as revealed by AFLP markers

Wild banana Musa balbisiana Colla is one of the progenitors of cultivated bananas and plantains. It is native to Southeast Asia and the western Pacific. South China represents the northern limit of its distribution range. The genetic diversity of Musa balbisiana was assessed by the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting in 15 populations of China. Four primer pairs produced 199 discernible loci. High levels of genetic diversity were detected, with P = 78.5%, H _E = 0.241, and H _pop = 0.3684 at population level, and P = 100%, H _T = 0.3362 and H _sp = 0.5048 at species level. Significant genetic differentiation among populations was detected based on Hickory’s analysis (27.6%), Shannon’s diversity index (27.0%) and AMOVA (27.1%). The AFLP results are discussed and compared with data obtained by microsatellites method. The estimates of genetic diversity and differentiation between each pair of populations computed with microsatellites and AFLP markers were not significantly correlated. Conservation strategies for Musa balbisiana in China are proposed.