Study on Flowering Time SSR Marker RM 248 in Traditional Rice Accessions in Sri Lanka.

ABSTRACT

Aims: To study the diversity of flowering time locus RM248 in some traditional rice cultivars in Sri Lanka and compare it with days to flowering of studied rice cultivars. Study Design: A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the days to flowering of the studied traditional rice cultivars. Rice plants were transplanted according to randomized complete block design with four replications and 20 plants per plot with 15 cm X 20 cm plant spacing. Diversity of flowering time locus RM 248 was analyzed by performing PCR using SSR marker RM 248 with genomic DNA of different eighty-nine rice genotypes. Gel electrophoresis was carried out in vertical gel electrophoresis unit for three hours. Gel plates were Silver stained and banding pattern was scored. Place and Duration of Study Field data were collected in Sri Lanka. The experiment was carried out during 2011/2012 Maha season and 2012 Yala season at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka Yala is referred as dry season while Maha is referred as wet season. Laboratory data were collected at the Laboratory of Genetics, Graduate school of Science and Technology, Kobe University, Japan from October 2012 – December 2012. Methodology: Days-to-flowering of traditional rice cultivars was studied in a field experiment and diversity of flowering time locus, RM 248 was studied by PCR amplification of SSR marker RM 248. SSR marker was amplified using the Gene Amp PCR System 9700 thermocycler. Amplified products were fractionated by electrophoresis through 6% denaturing Polyacrylamide gels and stained using Silver sequence DNA sequencing system staining regents (Promega, USA). Results: Silver stained Polyacrylamide gel showed six different allele types in traditional rice accessions in RM 248 locus. Conclusion: There is a great diversity in the RM248 locus among the traditional rice cultivars in Sri Lanka.