Vol. 7, Issue 9, Part F (2025)

This study evaluated the genetic diversity of nine mandarin genotypes collected from Nagpur, Amaravati, and Akola districts in Maharashtra, to aid breeding and germplasm management. Using 23 SSR markers, 21 successfully amplified loci revealed 77 alleles across 16 polymorphic markers, with an average of 3.07 alleles per primer pair. The marker CT 21 was the most informative, exhibiting the highest allele number (9) and a PIC value of 0.86. The overall average PIC of 0.58 indicated a moderate level of genetic variation among the genotypes. ‘KAL-14’ displayed the highest number of alleles (77), while ‘N-45’ had the greatest percentage of polymorphic markers (92.72%). Genetic similarity analyses using Jaccard's coefficient and a dendrogram revealed that the genotypes grouped into two main clusters based on their relationships. The SSR markers demonstrated strong discriminatory power among genotypes, underscoring their effectiveness for citrus genetic research. These insights support conservation efforts and provide a foundation for future breeding aimed at enhancing fruit quality and disease resistance.