Genetic diversity assessment of Lotus corniculatus L. using SCoT and DAMD molecular markers

Lotus corniculatus L., commonly known as bird’s-foot trefoil (BFT), is a perennial forage legume of high agronomic value due to its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen and its tolerance to diverse pedoclimatic conditions. In this study, 14 genotypes of L. corniculatus (LV-01 to LV-14), developed and maintained at the Agricultural Research and Development Station Lovrin (SCDA Lovrin, Romania), were evaluated. Genetic diversity was assessed using two types of molecular markers, namely DAMD (Directed Amplification of Minisatellite DNA) and SCoT (Start Codon Targeted) markers. The results revealed a high level of genetic variation among the analyzed genotypes. According to the results, SCoT primers amplified DNA fragments, resulting in a higher number of total bands (10.2) and polymorphic bands (8.4) compared to DAMD markers, which generated 8.2 total bands and 4 polymorphic bands. Among the two types of markers used, SCoT1 primer proved to be the most efficient, generating 20 bands, of which 19 were polymorphic, indicating a high discriminatory power for genetic diversity (Rp = 11.71). On the other hand, the best-performing DAMD markers was the DAMD01 primer, which produced a lower number of bands (16), with only 9 being polymorphic. However, SCoT and DAMD markers provide a more comprehensive genomic overview when combined. SCoT and DAMD markers target distinct regions of the genome, implying that a reliable assessment of genetic diversity requires the use of markers that amplify different genomic regions.