Genetic Diversity Analysis of Red Beet Germplasm Resources Using CEAP Molecular Markers

Red beet is a significant crop, particularly in sugar production. This study aimed to develop a molecular identification system and cis-element amplified polymorphism (CEAP) fingerprints for red beet to address the issues related to the proliferation of counterfeit seeds and to enhance the understanding of the genetic relationships among red beet germplasm resources. By developing these tools, this study aimed to facilitate the identification of distinct red beet germplasm resources, ensure product integrity, and safeguard the intellectual property rights of new varieties. This study amplified 32 red beet varieties (lines) using polymerase chain reaction with 17 CEAP primers. The amplified products were then analyzed using 2% agarose gel electrophoresis. The electrophoretic test results indicated that the mean values of genetic diversity indices such as Na, Ne, I, He, Nm, and polymorphism information content for each primer were 6.5882, 3.8766, 1.4836, 0.7088, 0.2532, and 0.6649, respectively. The genetic distances among the varieties (lines) ranged between 0.129 and 0.404. The UPGMA cluster analysis revealed that the 32 red beet varieties (lines) could be divided into six groups. The fingerprints of the red beet varieties (lines) were generated using three key primers: GATAA6, TGAC28, and AAAG25. The findings of this study provided a theoretical basis for identifying, protecting, and tracing different red beet varieties, as well as advancing innovation in germplasm and associated intellectual property rights.