Assessment of genetic diversity among 131 safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) accessions using peroxidase gene polymorphism (POGP) markers.

Findings of this research such as maximum diversity indices, higher PIC values showed the effectiveness and utility of POGP markers for the evaluation of genetic relationships among safflower accessions. The results of this study also showed that POGP markers are less effective compared to ISSRs, iPBS-retrotransposons and DArTSeq markers. AMOVA showed high genetic variation (79%) within a population and maximum genetic distance was found between the accessions Pakistan 26- Pakistan 24 and may be suggested as candidate parents for future breeding activities of safflower. The accessions from the fertile crescent region were clustered together and proved the origin of safflower domestication. This study highlights genetic variation among safflower germplasm and could be helpfull for parental selection and planning for future breeding programs.