Genetic diversity in a natural population of the halophytic legume <i>Prosopis strombulifera</i> revealed by AFLP fingerprinting

Prosopis strombulifera (Lam.) Benth. is a spiny shrub with the maximum tolerance limits reported for halophytic plants. This species is frequently found in the salinized areas in south-western of Córdoba and San Luis provinces, Argentina. Little is known about the genetic diversity within this species in a native population. Genetic diversity in 60 plants of P. strombulifera in south-western San Luis was investigated using AFLP analysis. Polymorphism was found among the samples tested. Four combinations of primers led to the identification of an average of 250 polymorphic bands and the data were used for cluster analysis. P. strombulifera genotypes are clearly separated in subclusters and reflect the diversity within the collection area. This study is a contribution to describe the intra-specific diversity in a natural population of P. strombulifera, and the polymorphism obtained is comparable with other populations of Prosopis species. Results demonstrate the importance of identifying different intra-population genotypes as components of a gene bank of P. strombulifera.