Diversity of Slovenian maize (Zea mays) populations by Hbr (MITE) markers and morphological traits

Hbr markers are based on location presence/absence of the Heartbreaker family of miniature inverted repeat transposable elements (MITEs). Together with the cost-effective technique-Hbr display were developed in 2000. We chose 15 populations from the Slovenian maize germplasm bank and described ten individual samples per each population by 268 Hbr markers and 35 morphological traits (IPGRI descriptors). Samples from the same population had highly similar DNA fingerprints, while the between-population differences were very high. Therefore, only a minor part of the total genetic variance existed within populations (23.3%), and the major part among populations (76.7%). Beli zob (the only dent type population) and stajerski dvanajsterec were the most divergent populations, others were closely related. They shared the majority of bands in the way that each band was shared by different set of populations. This is suggesting the origin from the common gene pool and the high extent of migrations.