Assessment of Genetic Relationship and Hybrid Evaluation Studies in Tea (Camellia sp.) by RAPD.

The genetic relationships among 12 tea accessions representing three species in the genus Camellia were studied using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. The genetic distance matrix based on Euclidian Distances showed a minimum genetic distance of 2.24 between ‘UPASI-2’ and ‘UPASI-3’ clones and the maximum was 4.47 between ‘TRF-1’ and ‘TRI-2025’. The dendrogram based on Ward’s method of cluster analysis clearly characterized all 12 tea varieties into three clusters based on their types namely China, Assam and Cambod. Pair-wise genetic similarity index between parent and hybrid clones generated showed a highest mean of 0.59 between ‘TRI-2025’ and ‘BSS-1’ and a lowest of 0.34 between ‘UPASI-10’ and ‘BSS-1’. This study revealed that all the varieties analysed fall the present taxonomic framework of Camellia species and that the hybrid is of Cambod type. RAPD markers can thus be successfully applied in this taxon for the study of relationships and to confirm hybrid origin. The study offers a sound platform for future tea bre eding programmes in tea as well as evolution of hybrids in the commercially important tea varieties