Castor (Ricinus communis L.) is a plant that is commercially very important to the world. It is produced in about 30 countries lying in the tropical belt of the world. It is an important plant for production of industrial oil. Assessment of genetic diversity of a crop species is a prerequisite to its improvement; hence it is important to identify the genetic diversity of castor genetic resources for development of improved cultivars. The aim of the present study was to study the molecular diversity for varietal identification and phylogenetic relationships among twenty castor genotypes and identify those with distinct DNA profiles. Thirty SSRs primers were used, out of which 25 polymorphic primers revealed % polymorphism among the castor genotypes. Dendrogram was constructed using UPGMA method which revealed distinct clusters. Values of the polymorphic information content (PIC) value ranged from to with an average of . Knowledge of the genetic diversity of castor can be used in future breeding programs for increased oil production to meet the ever increasing demand of castor oil for industrial uses as well as for biodiesel production. | Assessment of molecular diversity in castor genotypes using SSR markers
