Genetic relationships of some barley cultivars, based on morphological criteria and RAPD fingerprinting

In this study, the relationship of ten Saudi Arabian local and imported barley cultivars, based on evidences derived from agro-morphological traits and RAPD fingerprinting. Morphological measurements revealed that the two Egyptian cultivars, Giza 123 and Sahrawy showed good vegetative growth and yield productivity. In addition, morphological criteria of some cultivars developed by King Saud University reflected the morphological features and yield potential of their parents; the Egyptian cultivars Giza 121, Giza 123 and the American cultivar Gustoe. Four out of 11 primers gave a total of 53 bands in RAPD reactions, 36 of which were polymorphic. The number of bands ranged from 11 to 18 per primer and between 22 and 28 per cultivar with size range from 275 to 2072 bp. The analysis of RAPD profiles produced some cultivar-specific bands; these include the presence of unique bands in cv Giza 123, cv Local and cv Gustoe and cv Sahrawy and the absence of one band in cv Giza 121, cv Giza 123, cv Giza 128 and cv Sahrawy. Data were analysed using NTSYS-pc software and genetic distance trees were produced by the UPGMA and the Neighbor joining (NJ) methods. The trees based on morphological data reflected the pedigree of some cultivars, in particular the close relationships between cultivars developed by King Saud University and their parents. However, in the trees based on RAPD data, the genetic relationships among the studied cultivars were not in full agreement with their pedigree and showed resemblance between morphologically different cultivars. In the trees based on the analysis of the combined morphological and RAPD data, the grouping of some of the six rowed cultivars was in agreement with their pedigree, specially the two cultivars Giza 121 and KSU 103 and the two cultivars Giza 123 and KSU 102.