Wild rices of Eastern Indo-Gangetic plains of India constitute two sub-populations harbouring rich genetic diversity

Abstract

Analysis of variability and genetic structure of wild rice populations is important for the management and conservation of the valuable genetic resources. To better understand the relationships among wild rice accessions, we analyzed a subset of germplasm collected from the eastern Indo-Gangetic plains of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Thirty-five wild rice accessions were characterized for fourteen morphological traits and genotyped using 25 genome wide SSR markers. The accessions showed significant phenotypic variation for all the traits analyzed. Analysis of SSR markers revealed average 2.4 alleles per locus with PIC values ranging from 0.51 to 0.90 with an average of 0.79. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis clearly demarcated the wild rice accessions into two main groups representing Oryza rufipogon and Oryza nivara. The high level of genetic diversity found in wild rices of this region suggests that it is a valuable resource that should be conserved for utilization in rice breeding programs.