Genetic diversity in Vietnamese upland rice germplasm revealed by SSR markers

Tolerance to water deficit condition is an important prerequisite for optimal performance of rice in drought prone environments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity within upland rice accessions, collected from Northern part of 'Vietnam. Genetic diversity of the rice varieties was evaluated at the DNA level. Forty-one accessions were surveyed with 30 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers revealing the genetic relationship among the varieties. A total of 192 polymorphic bands were detected. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 12, with an average of 6.4. Cluster analysis based on genetic similarities grouped the rice accessions into two major groups. These groups were divided into five subgroups. These clusters agree with origin information available on the accessions. The results suggested that a relatively small number of SSR markers could be used for analysis of genetic diversity in rice germplasm. The upland rice germplasm presents a valuable gene source and sufficient genetic background for future breeding and mapping works on drought tolerance rice in Vietnam.