ABSTRACT
Within and among population genetic diversity of 37 Guizotia abyssinica populations from Ethiopia were analyzed using inter simple sequence repeats (ISSRs). Five primers amplified a total of 118 genomic DNA fragments across a total of 370 individuals of which 106 were polymorphic (89.83%). The average number of polymorphic bands per primer was 21.2. More bands were generated by primer UBC 888 (BDB(CA)(7.) The total genetic diversity (Ht) and the coefficient of genetic differentiation (Gst) were 0.4115 and 0.0918 respectively, while the within population genetic diversity (Hs) and the among population genetic diversity(Dst) were 0.3738 and 0.03776 respectively suggesting more variability within the populations than among them. The standard genetic distances between the G. abyssinica populations of the eight regions ranged from 0.0281 (between Wollo and Gojam) to 0.1148 (between Jimma and Hararghe). Generally, the standard genetic distances are smaller between populations of neighboring regions and highest between those of Jimma and the other regions, ranging from 0.0696 (between Jimma and Shewa) to 0.1148 (between Jimma and Hararghe). The ISSR based UPGMA clustering using the standardized genetic distances matrix also placed populations from neighboring regions closer than those from farther apart areas, while the UPGMA clustering by regions based on the standard genetic distances produced three clusters following the proximity and the contiguity of the regions. The mean Shannon Weaver diversity indices for the populations of the eight regions ranged from 0.8197 (Jimma) to 0.9176 (Hararghe), with a mean of 0.8841 for the whole material.