Molecular characterisation of some species and varieties of yam present on the Colombian Atlantic Coast

<p class="Default"><span lang="EN-US">Seven varieties of the <em>Dioscorea alata </em>specie (but only one variety of the <em>Dioscorea rotundata </em>specie) have been morphologically characterised in Colombia. These varieties have been used in the Colombian Yam Agricultural Biotechnology Programme (ABP) to increase the sustainability of groups of poor rural workers from the Colombian Atlantic Coast by providing them with plants having good organoleptic characteristics and increased tuber yield. This work's main objective was the molecular characterisation of those varieties of yam from the Colombian Atlantic Coast used in the <em>ABP, </em>through Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) molecular markers. This aimed at determining if there is conformity between that morphological taxonomy established for the classification of ABP programme species and varieties with the discrimination and grouping of individuals by their molecular band profiles provided by AFLP Seven varieties of <em>D</em>. <em>alata </em>specie and the sole variety of the <em>D. rotundata </em>specie were characterised. Gibco-BRL, New York Analysis System I and Analysis System II kits were used to obtain AFLP patterns, following handbook instructions. Presence/absence matrices were constructed for the statistical analysis; similarity was determined from the Dice similarity index by using the Gel Stats statistical package. Later matrices became distance matrices and dendograms were constructed from these by using UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method Average) for grouping strategy. Comparison was then made between matrices by using Mantel permutation analysis. The results show that only three of all the seven <em>Dioscorea alata </em>varieties analysed presented polymorphism allowing them to be differentiated. The other four varieties were grouped as a sole variety or belonged to a single variety. These results have great importance for widening information concerning yam in Colombia, particularly for the Colombian ABR since it makes it possible to reduce collection and maintenance costs, leading to information regarding each accession to Colombia's germplasm banks to be increased. This is the first molecular characterisation work carried out in Colombia on yam species <em>(Dioscorea spp.). </em></span></p>