Genetic diversity between cultivated and non-cultivated Moringa oleifera Lam. provenances assessed by RAPD markers [Moringa oleifera'ni{dotless}n ekili olan ve olmayan kökenlerinin genetik çeşitliliǧinin RAPD markörleri ile deǧerlendirilmesi]

Knowledge of population genetic diversity is one of the prerequisites for development of plant species conservation strategies. in the case of wild species that represent genetic resources for cultivated plants,an understanding of their genetic diversity is essential as they are the source of genetic material that are used to improve elite varieties. a total of 12 rapd primers were used to investigate the genetic diversity between and within cultivated and non-cultivated provenances of moringa oleifera lam. from costal regions of tanzania. cluster analysis using ntsys-pc and upgma program produced five clusters with similarity ranging from 54% to 96%. clustering pattern revealed a trend of genetic separation between cultivated and non-cultivated individuals which could be attributed to genetic changes taking place in escapees' individuals as they adapt to the natural environment. based on the results,selection of elite germplasm and conservation of m. oleifera genetic resources could be achieved by considering individuals both from wild and cultivated plants.