Genetic diversity of forest arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) in Ethiopia as revealed by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis.

Genetic diversity within the forest Coffea arabica L. gene pool in Ethiopia has not been extensively examined with molecular markers. In the present study, a total of 75 polymorphic RAPD bands generated by twelve random primers were used to assess genetic diversity among 144 genotypes representing 16 C. arabica populations. The number of polymorphic bands detected with each primer ranged from 2 to 9 with a mean of 6.25 bands per primer. Banding patterns ranged in percentage polymorphism from 37% to 73% with an overall mean of 56% for the populations analyzed. The amount of genetic variation among populations estimated by Shannon-Weaver diversity index was (H = 0.30). The within population and between populations differentiation values were 0.65 and 0.35, respectively. Genetic differentiations within and between zones of sample collection sites were 0.80 and 0.20, respectively. Within population average similarities estimated by simple matching coefficients ranged from 0.72 to 0.85, with an overall average of 0.78. In the cluster analysis that used individual samples as operational taxonomic units, most of the representatives of the same population failed to cluster before they joined members of other populations. Nevertheless, most of the populations were clustered on the basis of their geographic closeness and an east west differentiation was observed at approximately 75% similarity. The results obtained provide information on how to select sites for in situ conservation of C. arabica germplasm.