GERMPLASM EVALUATION IN BAMBOOS: FROM CHROMOSOMES TO MOLECULAR MARKERS

Bamboo, an evergreen, perennial, eco-friendly and multipurpose plant, is one of the most important non-timber forest product. About two billion depend economically on bamboo, and international trade in bamboo amounts to over 2.5 billion US dollars per year. The ever increasing demand of bamboo has led to an alarming decrease in the bamboo stocks in their natural stands. Hence, there is an urgent need to propagate it on a large scale which needs careful evaluation of the germplasm. Chromosome analysis was first used for germplasm evaluation. However, as bamboos are polyploids, their natural populations are very heterogenous and chromosome studies are not a dependable parameter for evaluation. The application of molecular marker techniques have greatly assisted in species identification, study of genetic variation and genetic diversity, establishing phylogenetic relationship and assessing genetic fidelity in in-vitro raised plants. Such markers include RFPL, RAPD, AFPL, ISSR, SSR, SNP and ITS and have been used in several studies including solving taxonomic problems in bamboos. The appropriate molecular marker has to be used for specific studies.