Assessment of genetic diversity and species relationships in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) using STMS markers

Ninety six accessions including 92 of Solanum melongena and four related non-tuberous species (Solanum insanum, S. incanum, S. integrifolium and S. sysimbriifolium) were taken for the assessment of genetic diversity using 23 STMS primers. Eleven of the 23 primers tested showed polymorphism. The number of alleles per primer ranged from three to six with an average of 4.4. S. melongena had maximum average similarity with its closely related species, S. insanum (0.67) and minimum average similarity with the wild species, S. sysimbriifolium (0.50). The two weedy species S. incanum and S. integrifolium showed more average similarity value of 0.62 and 0.61, respectively with the cultivated S. melongena. S. insanum. S. incanum and S. integrifolium were relatively similar to each other with similarity index value of 0.61 (between S. insanum and S. incanum), 0.63 (between S. insanum and S. integrifolium) and 0.62 (between S. incanum and S. integrifolium). In contrast S. sysimbriifolium was most divergent with the similarity value of 0.49, 0.47 and 0.51 with S. insanum, S. incanum and S. integrifolium, respectively. The closely related species S. insanum and S. incanum, which clustered along with S. melongena accessions, being crossable with cultivated species, constitute important sources of genes that can be introgressed by backcross breeding. Molecular markers can be employed to identify the hybrids and also to monitor introgression of the useful genes.