Abstract: Many elite rice varieties have been developed in the last decades by
Thai rice breeders. No information about the genetic gene pool of these elite
rice varieties is available. This study evaluated the genetic relationship of 15
elite Thai rice cultivars using Indel markers. Of the 133 markers screened, 44
were polymorphic. The PIC scores ranged from 0.06 to- 0.50. By the UPGMA
clustering method, they were separated into three major groups. Several markers
identified specific DNA bands to certain rice cultivars, e.g., RD0305 and Rd0806
detected DNA bands specific for four photoperiod-sensitive rice cultivars. The
gene pool of 15 elite Thai rice cultivars was moderately wide, and some closely
related rice varieties were observed. The clustering result was consistent with
the breeding pedigree. The data of this study can be used for the sustainable
development of elite rice varieties in the future.