Abstract

Emmer wheat [Triticum dicoccum (Schrank)] cultivation in Ethiopia has been reducing and the genetic diversity maintained in the germplasm collection needs to be determined. The objective of this study was to assess the level of genetic diversity among populations of Ethiopian emmer wheat using seed storage protein analysis. Seeds of 85 accessions representing seven administrative regions of Ethiopia were obtained from the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute and grown at Sinana Agricultural Research Center. Seed storage proteins were extracted from a single seed and separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Total genetic diversity, intra-population genetic diversity and inter-population genetic diversity were 0.33, 0.2903 and 0.0391, respectively. Low genetic differentiation (G_ST = 0.119) and high gene flow (N_m = 3.697) were observed among populations. The genetic distance (D) between populations ranged from 0.0424 to 0.1128. Cluster analysis revealed two main clusters and one outlier. The results provide important baseline for future germplasm conservation and improvement programs.

Key words: Cluster analysis, emmer wheat, genetic distance, genetic diversity, seed storage protein.