Molecular Characterization of Arabica and Conilon Coffee Plants Genotypes by SSR and ISSR Markers

The molecular characterization of ten genotypes of the Coffea arabica plants and of seven genotypes of C. canephora having interesting features for coffee breeding programs was carried to select the parents for breeding. A total of 40 SSR and 29 ISSR primers were used. The primers generated a total of 331 (307 polymorphic and 24 monomorphic) bands. Analysis of genetic diversity presented dissimilarity intervals ranging from 0.22 to 0.44 between the Conilon genotypes, from 0.02 to 0.28 between the Arabica genotypes, and from 0.49 to 0.60 between the genotypes of the two species in the joint analysis. Four groups were formed: I = genotypes of C. arabica, II = four progenies of C. canephora, Conilon group, and one non defined C. canephora (Conilon or Robusta), III = one progeny of un-defined C. canephora (Conilon or Robusta) and IV = one progeny of C. canephora of Robusta group. The grouping formed was consistent with the origins of each group. High stabilities of the bifurcations were found by bootstrap analysis. The use of molecular markers of the SSR and ISSR types in the diversity study was efficient in distinguishing genotypes between and within C. arabica and C. canephora.