One of the most important factor in a plant breeding program is the capacity of the breeder to identify superior genotypes in a segregant population. The understanding of genetic relationships and combining ability among individuals is essential for parental selection. Genetic markers are divided in morphological and molecular (Enzyme or DNA). They may help in the identification of individuals based on their genetic similarities. DNA markers, as RFLP and RAPD, contribute to increase efficiency in plant breeding through linkage mapping and agronomic traits mapping. In addition, several researchers have pointed out the efficiency of these markers to characterize genotypes and to generate clusters of genetic similarity in germplasm from different species.
DNA markers; RFLP; RAPD