Research carried out in 2021 at the Jeser Al-Musayyab Company, Baghdad, Iraq, determined the molecular variations among 10 inbred lines of maize (Zea mays L.), for use in the future production of promising F₁ hybrids. DNA sequencing random polymorphism technology using Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) with five primers (UBC 834, UBC 835, UBC 856, UBC 866, and UBC 897) assessed the genetic variations among the 10 inbred lines of maize. All five primers produced 29 bands, averaging 5.8 strips each primer. The four primers, UBC 834, UBC 835, UBC 866, and UBC 897, had produced the same and highest number of proliferators with molecular weights ranging from 100 to 2000 bp. The primer UBC 856 showed the lowest number, with a molecular weight of 100–500 bp. The total number of polymorphs was 24, with a percentage of 82.4%, with the lowest (80%) polymorphs recorded in the primer UBC 856. The least discriminatory efficiency and ability values were 17.24% and 16.66%, respectively. Relying on binary data and genetic divergence using the UPGMA method to create a genetic kinship tree, the maize lines were separated into two groups, i.e., A, B, secondary, and sub-secondary groups. The highest genetic similarity (with the lowest genetic divergence) was estimated according to the Nei and Li coefficient of 0.23 between the two lines HS and S-10. The presented findings can provide further guidance and help analyze the genetic diversity among the maize populations.

Keywords: maize, ISSR, molecular, DNA, primer, cluster analysis

Key findings: The presented results authenticated the efficiency of ISSR markers in diagnosing genetic divergence among the inbred lines of maize (Zea mays L.).