Hongyun Zhang¹ , Lin Zhao²

1 Zhejiang Wuwangnong Seeds shareholding Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, 310000, Zhejiang, China
2 Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Crop (Ecology) Research, Hangzhou, 310024, Zhejiang, China
Author    Correspondence author
Plant Gene and Trait, 2024, Vol. 15, No. 6   
Received: 11 Oct., 2024    Accepted: 13 Nov., 2024    Published: 21 Nov., 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam) is a globally significant food crop with extensive genetic diversity. This study synthesizes findings from various studies on the genetic diversity of sweet potato germplasm collected worldwide. Chloroplast SSR markers have revealed low genetic diversity among female parents in the National Agrobiodiversity Center’s collection, indicating a need for broader germplasm collection. Retrotransposon-based insertion polymorphism (RBIP) markers have demonstrated significant intergroup genetic variation, suggesting limited evolutionary diversification despite geographic speciation. Genome-wide assessments using SNPs have identified three major genetic groups, with a core germplasm set developed for future breeding. Morphological, biochemical, and molecular markers have been used to characterize genetic diversity, highlighting promising genotypes for yield and antioxidant content. AFLP analysis has shown low genetic diversity among Tanzanian accessions, with significant within-region variation. These findings underscore the importance of comprehensive germplasm characterization and conservation to support sweet potato breeding programs.

Sweet potato; Genetic diversity; Germplasm; Chloroplast SSR markers; Retrotransposon-based insertion polymorphism (RBIP)