Amplified fragment length polymorphism analyses unravel a striking difference in the intraspecific genetic diversity of four species of genus Zingiber Boehm. from the Western Ghats, south India

Intraspecific genetic variation was assessed in cultivated ginger (Zingiber officinale) and its three wild congeners: Z. neesanum, Z. nimmonii and Z. zerumbet from Western Ghats, South India using 169 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers generated by six primer combinations. Different genetic diversity estimates depicted a striking difference in the genetic diversity of the species studied. The very low level of genetic diversity recorded in ginger complies with its obligatory asexual breeding behaviour. Contrary to the expectations, the genetic diversity of the widely distributed Z. zerumbet was relatively low while that of the endemic species Z. neesanum and Z. nimmonii was higher. Mode of reproduction presumably governs the level of genetic diversity in Zingiber species. Further, the analyses of AFLP data provided an insight into the phylogenetic relationship between ginger and other three species, with ginger being closest to Z. zerumbet.