The use of molecular markers may serve to direct crossings, confirm new hybrids and identify new genotypes for commercial purposes. In that context, this research aimed to analyze the genetic diversity among cultivars and hybrids of Brachiaria spp. and P. maximum using molecular markers of the type RAPD (Random amplified polymorphic DNA). It was analyzed 22 genotypes with 10 primers, which amplified 178 DNA polymorphic fragments, which were used to estimate the similarity using Jaccard coefficient. The values of similarity ranged from 0.066 to 0.841. The genetic structure among genotypes was estimated by UPGMA (Unweighted pair-group method with arithmetical average) and revealed three distinct groups with high bootstrap values (>89%). The results showed that the RAPD is a fast, relatively inexpensive and useful technique for genetic divergence characterization between different cultivars and hybrids of Brachiaria spp. and P. maximum.
Brachiaria spp.; forages; molecular markers; Panicum maximum; RAPD
