Assessment of Genetic Diversity in Turkish Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) Genotypes Using iPBS Retrotransposon Markers

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a drought-tolerant oilseed crop of agronomic and medicinal importance. Understanding its genetic diversity is crucial for developing improved cultivars and conserving local germplasm. In this study, 33 safflower genotypes, including 8 cultivars and 25 landraces from Türkiye, were characterized using 12 inter-primer binding site (iPBS) retrotransposon markers. A total of 124 bands were amplified, of which 120 (96.77%) were polymorphic. The number of alleles per primer ranged from 4 to 22, with an average of 10. Mean polymorphic information content (PIC), effective number of alleles (Ne), Shannon’s information index (I), and resolving power (Rp) were determined as 0.19, 1.30, 1.31, and 7.01, respectively. Cluster analysis based on Jaccard similarity coefficients grouped the genotypes into four major clusters using the UPGMA method, with a similarity range from 0.24 to 0.85. Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) supported the clustering pattern, with the first two coordinates explaining 68.21% of the total genetic variation. The congruence between PCoA and UPGMA patterns confirms the robustness of the iPBS markers in discriminating safflower genotypes. Overall, the results demonstrate the effectiveness of iPBS markers in revealing significant genetic diversity among Turkish safflower accessions, providing a valuable molecular resource for breeding programs and germplasm management.