Abstract

The Plantain (Musa sp.) is a giant perennial rhizomatous herb native to South East Asia and Western Pacific. Precise identification of plantain germplasms is essential for efficient management, exchange and use of plantain genetic resources. Thirty-two accessions of plantain from the National Agricultural Research Center collection and six diploid cultivars of Musa were analyzed using sixty-three single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. The genetic diversity observed was relatively high among plantain accessions. The mean values of observed heterozygosity were higher than the expected mean heterozygosity values, which confirm Plantain’s highly heterozygous nature. Analysis of Molecular Variance revealed that the genetic diversity mainly resides within the population (which is based on inflorescence characteristics) with 96 % of the total variation. Both, Bayesian clustering analysis and Principal Coordinate Analysis separated the accessions into two and three clusters, respectively. Two cultivars of false horn were clear separated from the bulk of other plantains, suggesting that they are a potential source of useful or rare genes for widening the genetic base of breeding populations derived from the plantains. This Plantain SNP panel is demonstrated here to be proficient tools to assist plantain germplasm management, propagation of planting material, and plantain cultivar authentication.