Evaluation of genetic diversity in geranium (Geraniaceae) using RAPD marker

Genetic diversity studies are essential to understand the conservation and management of plant resources in any environment. No detailed Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) studies were conducted to study Geranium genetic diversity. Therefore, we collected and analyzed thirteen species from nine provinces. Overall, one hundred and twenty-five plant specimens were collected. Our aims were 1) to assess genetic diversity among Geranium species 2) is there a correlation between species genetic and geographical distance? 3) Genetic structure of populations and taxa. We showed significant differences in quantitative morphological characters in plant species. Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean and multidimensional scaling divided Geranium species into two groups. G. sylvaticum depicted unbiased expected heterozygosity (UHe) in the range of 0.11. Shannon information was high (0.38) in G. columbinum. G. sylvaticum showed the lowest value, 0.14. The observed number of alleles (Na) ranged from 0.25 to 0.55 in G. persicum and G. tuberosum. The effective number of alleles (Ne) was in the range of 1.020-1.430 for G. tuberosum and G. collinum. Gene flow (Nm) was relatively low (0.33) in Geranium. The Mantel test showed correlation (r = 0.27, p=0.0002) between genetic and geographical distances. We reported high genetic diversity, which clearly shows the Geranium species can adapt to changing environments since high genetic diversity is linked to species adaptability. Present results highlighted the utility of RAPD markers and morphometry methods to investigate genetic diversity in Geranium species.