International Conference on Sustainable Biotechnology [ICoSBi] 2025
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://rda.sliit.lk/handle/123456789/4450
Browse
2 results
Search Results
Publication Open Access Unveiling Genetic Diversity of Sri Lankan Avocados using SSR Markers and Morphological Traits(Department of Applied Sciences. Faculty of Humanities and Sciences,SLIIT, 2025-10-10) Wijesundara, V. G.; Divyanjalee, S. D.; Perera, U. I. P.; Niran, H. M. L.; Somaratne, L. H. M. Y. K.Avocado (Persea americana Mill.), a member of the family Lauraceae, is widely recognised as a healthpromoting fruit due to its high content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which help lower LDL cholesterol levels. Although avocados were introduced to Sri Lanka nearly 200 years ago, the local avocado accessions remain largely uncharacterised. The present study was conducted to characterise 15 avocadoaccessions maintained in the ex-situ germplasm collection at the Fruit Research and Development Institute, Horana, using both molecular and morphological markers. Molecular characterisation was performed using four avocado-specific Short Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers.Publication Open Access Detection of Polymorphism in Ethyl Methyl Sulfonate Treated Cordyline fruticosa (L.) A.Chev. mutants using RAPD markers(Department of Applied Sciences. Faculty of Humanities and Sciences,SLIIT, 2025-10-10) Kondapperuma, C.; Hewagamage, H.; Pieris, S. E.Cordyline fruticosa (L.) A. Chev. is an ornamental plant with significant horticultural value but limited genetic diversity, which constrains breeding for improved traits. This study aimed to generate and evaluate genetic and morphological variation in C. fruticosa using Ethyl Methyl Sulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis. In-vitro plantlets were exposed to EMS at concentrations of 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%, for 10 minutes and their growth was monitored over nine weeks. Key morphological parameters, includingplant height, leaf number, and leaf pigmentation, were recorded to assess the impact of EMS treatment. Genomic DNA was extracted from treated and control plants, and genetic variation was evaluated using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. The results demonstrated that EMS induced concentration-dependent changes in plant morphology, with 1% EMS producing the greatest reduction in plant height and leaf number, as well as lighter leaf pigmentation. RAPD analysis revealed increasedgenetic polymorphism in EMS-treated groups compared to the control, with the highest level observed in the 1% EMS treatment. Cluster analysis further confirmed the genetic divergence between treated and control plants. These findings indicate that EMS mutagenesis, particularly at lower concentrations, is effective in generating both morphological and genetic diversity in C. fruticosa. The study provides a foundation for future breeding programs aiming to enhance the ornamental and adaptive traits of thisspecies through targeted mutation breeding.
