Molecular Genetic Diversity of Manioc (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Using Simple Sequence Repeated Markers (SSR) in the Kara Region of Togo

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), a plant of the future, is one of the main crops with high genetic potential. Therefore, the knowledge of its genetic variability would be of great importance for its effective use in genetic improvement programs. The objective of this work was to characterize the genetic diversity of cassava cultivars present in the Kara region of Togo. Thus, a total of 91 cassava leaf samples collected in the 7 prefectures of the Kara region were analyzed using 7 pairs of SSR microsatellite primers. Fifty-three alleles were detected with an average of 7.57 alleles per locus. The polymorphic information content ranged from 0.63 to 0.83 with an average of 0.74, indicating a high level of marker polymorphism. Molecular analysis of variance revealed that the majority of variability occurred within individuals and accounted for 99 % of the total variation between individuals. Weak genetic differentiation (Fst=0.011) was also observed between populations. The genetic structuring model based on the Neighbour-Joining algorithm method divided the individuals into 6 groups independently of local names. These results indicate the presence of high genetic resource variability in the studied populations. Therefore, it would be important to implement management strategies to better conserve cassava genetic resources and to facilitate the identification of successful cultivars.