Abstract
Taif roses (Rosa x damascena) are important ornamental crops that are widely cultivated in the Taif region. Taif roses are well known in the Arabian world for their deep and intense fragrance and they have a favourable economic value. In this study, the genetic variation between 30 individual plant samples of Taif roses was evaluated. This was done by using three different molecular markers, 10 primers each for ISSR, SCoT and CDDP markers. The results obtained from ISSR-PCR analysis of the 30 local rose samples revealed approximately 106 different banding patterns; 98 of which are considered monomorphic bands (92.5%) and 8 fragments of which are considered polymorphic bands (7.5%). The SCoT marker revealed approximately 100 different banding patterns; 71 of which are considered monomorphic bands (71%) and 29 fragments of which are considered polymorphic bands (about 29%). Finally, the CDDP marker revealed approximately 103 different banding patterns; 82 of which are considered monomorphic bands (79.7%) and 21 fragments of which are considered polymorphic bands (20.3%).
Of the three molecular markers, the SCoT marker is a useful tool for the detection of genetic diversity among Taif roses. Even though the cluster analysis for the three markers separated the 30 individuals into different groups, the dendrogram obtained from the SCoT molecular marker presented the best clustering pattern. Thus, the ISSR, SCoT and CDDP markers provide a useful technique for plant genotyping and fingerprinting.