Abstract
An investigation was carried out to characterize aroid germplasms in
morphological and molecular levels during the period from January 2014 to
December 2017 at the Bangladesh Agricultural University Germplasm Center (BAU-
GPC) and laboratory of the Department Of Horticulture, BALI, Mymensingh. In this
study, forty five aroid germplasms of which Mukhi kachu (Colocasia) (9),
Panchamukhi kachu (Colocasin) (5), Pani kachu (Colocasia) (5), Poidnyl kachu
(Colocasia) (5), Man kachu (Alocnsin) (5), 01 kachu (Amorphophalus) (5) and Mowlavi
kachu (Xanthosoma) (11) were collected from different parts Of the country and
transplanted them at BAU-GPC. The field experiments were laid out in Randomized
Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Genetic diversity was estimated
by univariate technique using morphological traits. Molecular characterization was
done by using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers. Significant
variations of morphological characters like plant height, leaf number, breadth and length,
number Of suckers, number Of inflorescence, corm length, diameter, weight, number Of
cormels and yield per plant were observed among the aroid germplasms. •lhe highest
yield plant from germplasms CE-2 of Mukhi kachu, CE-IO of Panchamukhi
kachu, CE-15 of Pani kachu, CE-22 of Poidnyl kachu, A1-5 of Man kachu, AC-I of 01
kachu and XA-I Of Mowlavi kachu were obtained 362.62, 6611B, 276.67, 977.67,
833.33, 1016.67 and 2171.73b respectively. Genotypic variance and coefficient of
variation for most of the characters were remarkably higher than environmental
variance. Heritability Of all studied characters were very high (above 80%) and the
highest was recorded in petiole length. In path analysis, maximum characters like
leaf number, length, corm length and breadth, plant height, plant
breadth had positive genotypic and phenotypic direct effect on yield per plant of
aroid germplasms. The lower difference between Genotypic Coefficient of Variation
(GCV) and Phenotypic Coefficient Of Variation (PCV) obtained from most of the
germplasms except Mowlavi kachu indicated the less influence of environment in
the expression of the morphological traits. On the basis of morphological characters
and genetic diversity analysis, the superior germplasms were found CE-2 Of Mukhi
kachu, CE-IO of Panchamukhi kachu, CE-15 of Pani kachu, CE-22 of Poidnyl kachu,
A1-5 of Man kachu, AC-I of 01 kachu and XA-I of Mowlavi kachu and these
germplasms could be used in further research programme. Among 45 aroid
germplasms 22 were used for molecular analysis. The total number of bands and average
polymorphic bands were recorded 46 and 9.2, respectively. Estimated Nei's gene
diversity (0.316) was supported the existence Of high level of genetic variation
among 22 germplasms of aroid. The highest genetic distance (0.884) was observed
the germplasms A1-4 and XA-I, CE-4 and XA-9 pair. In the Dendrogram, all
22 aroid germplasms were divided into two major groups A and B. Group A divided
into four subgroups. Group B Consisted of 2 germplasms namely CEA and XA-I and
group A consisted of rest 20 germplasms. The used primers of this study will be useful for
future genetic analysis and provide aroid breeders with a genetic basis for of parents
for crop improvement