Genotype variant of soybean cultivars around Lake Victoria region, East Africa

Abstract

Glycine gracilis, which originated from North-East China, is morphologically intermediate between the cultivated G. max and the wild form, G. soja. These three forms are cross-compatible and their crosses provide a resource for biologically and agronomically important genes. Breeding genetics of soybean has developed slowly due to inherent difficulties in crossing. The soybean stamens and the pistils are present in the same flower resulting in a high percentage of self-fertilization. The cultivars grown around the Lake Victoria differ in agronomic performance but their genotypes have not been described at the molecular level. Amplification of 5S ribosomal gene from the cultivars yielded uniform PCR product of about 700 bps. Limited sample sequencing showed a restriction marker site within the 5S ribosomal gene. A phylogenetic tree based on 5S rDNA gene sequences of East African cultivars and different Glycine species suggests that the cultivar Mikumi is similar to, and SB 19 of Kenya and Maksoy of Uganda are closely related to, G. max.