Genetic diversity is a key driver of crop improvement and resilience against environmental stresses. This study aimed to evaluate genetic diversity and develop DNA fingerprints of 13 sorghum (S. bicolor L.) genotypes using highly polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. SSR markers used totaled 50 to amplify genomic regions, with genetic relationships analyzed using unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) clustering, principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), and heatmap visualization based on binary allele scoring. The markers exhibited high informativeness, with PIC (polymorphism information content) values ranging from 0.49 to 0.94, and classifying the majority as highly informative (PIC ≥ 0.80), effectively discriminating among the genotypes. Multivariate analysis consistently revealed three major genetic clusters, highlighting both closely related and highly divergent genotypes. These findings underscore the presence of genetically distinct lines, representing valuable resources for broadening the genetic base in sorghum breeding. Overall, the study demonstrates that SSR-based DNA fingerprinting is a reliable, cost-effective, and efficient tool for molecular characterization, diversity assessment, and strategic parent selection. Such approaches are essential for optimizing sorghum breeding programs and enhancing crop resilience under changing environmental conditions.
Sorghum (S. bicolor L.), genetic diversity, DNA fingerprinting, SSR markers, UPGMA clustering, principal coordinate analysis, heatmap tree, genetic relationship
Highly informative SSR markers, including XTXP-294, XTXP-210, and XTXP-218, effectively distinguished the sorghum (S. bicolor L.) genotypes, forming three major clusters that reveal patterns of genetic divergence. Several genotypes, AK-113, CMS-7B, and F-01-2017, were highly divergent, indicating their potential for introducing novel alleles.