This study was carried out in order to assess the genetic diversity of 20 cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) genotypes with high phenotypic performance using microsatellite markers. Two groups were considered for this study: eleven varieties for industrial uses and nine for household consumption. By using nine microsatellite primers, high polymorphism was identified in all the loci analyzed, with values reaching 100%. On average, 3.4 alleles per locus were found, with 0.371 the value estimated for the observed heterozygosity and 0.555 for gene diversity for the entire set of varieties. The genetic variability found in both varieties, cultivated on a large-scale in the South Center region of Brazil, is wide enough to allow the choice of divergent parental genotypes to be used in crosses to obtain new recombinant genotypes. Furthermore, the analyses indicated a high genetic variability within the two groups (I: varieties for industrial uses; II: varieties for household consumption). However, varieties for household consumption attain higher genetic variability, probably due to high priority placed on selection of different sensorial traits. In the cluster analysis, a tendency for separation of varieties for industrial use and household consumption was verified. Our results represent an important source of information to the cassava breeding program in Brazil.
Manihot esculenta; genetic diversity; germplasm; microsatellites
