Authors : Getu Hailu and Yirgashewa Asfere
Abstract: Using the latest achievements in fields of genetics, molecular biology and biotechnology, breeders can create new varieties with improved useful traits. Introduction of DNA markers, especially those based on the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) has led to breakthrough in the plants genetic research, molecular markers are tags that can be used to identify specific genes and locate them in relation to other genes. Now days, molecular markers are the markers of attention for advanced research. These can be classified into two categories including Hybridizations based techniques and PCR-based techniques. Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) represents the hybridization based marker while PCR dependent includes more reliable and advanced polymorphic markers like Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP), Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD), Inter-Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR), Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) techniques have been developed.
Getu Hailu and Yirgashewa Asfere, 2020. The Role of Molecular Markers in Crop Improvement and Plant Breeding Programs: A Review. Agricultural Journal, 15: 171-175.