Genetic diversity among and within genome groups of banana cultivars based on ISSR markers

East Java was considered one of Indonesia's banana production centres. More than 90 cultivars have been described, with diverse morphological characteristics and a variety of local languages, making them an intriguing object to research. This research aimed to examine both the genetic diversity and the clustering among and within genome groups of banana cultivars in East Java using ISSR markers. A total of 12 banana cultivars expressing different genome groups were analyzed using five primers i.e., UBC834, UBC835, UBC843, UBC848 and UBC855. UBC-835 primer was considered the best ISSR primer for amplification in terms of PIC, EMR, MI and RP. Clustering analysis resulted in 4 groups of banana cultivars based on their genome. As a result, the ISSR is a powerful marker for identifying banana cultivars at the intraspecific level. Genetic diversity analysis among genome groups showed high genetic richness with Shannon index 0.587 and polymorphic loci 96.97%. Meanwhile, the AA genome group has the highest genetic variation within genome groups, with Shannon index and polymorphic loci of 0.289 and 42.42%, respectively, followed by ABB, AAB, and AAA genome groups. In addition, 50.43% of the molecular variation was present within genome groups and 49.57% of variation lies among genome groups. The genetic variation was considered slightly more conserved within the genome groups of bananas. The findings of this study provide the foundation for sustainable management of East Java's local banana, both in situ and ex situ