Abstract
Random Amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to characterize the genetic diversity and relationships among (Acacia senegal). A total of 15 primers were tested with the 30 genotypes of Acacia spp. (28 A. senegal, one A. mellifera and one A. leata). The results indicated that 7 primers (60%) showed at least 1 consistent polymorphic band. The seven informative primers were selected and used to evaluate the degree of polymorphism and genetic relationships within and among all the Acacia spp under study. The selected primers generated distinctive products in the range of 1.584-5.148 Kbp. Total of 51 amplified fragments were distinguished across the selected primers and the statistical analysis showed 44 polymorphic bands among the 28 genotypes with an average of 7.2 polymorphic bands per primer. The maximum numbers of fragment bands were produced by the primer OPA-09 (11) with 73% polymorphism while the minimum numbers of fragments were produced by the primer OPA-01 (5) with 80% polymorphism Molecular variance (STATISTCA) was used to investigate the genetic diversity among individual. High level of polymorphism among individuals suggested that RAPD technique can be useful for A. senegal for the maintenance of germplasm banks and the efficient selection of parents for breeding.