Information on genetic diversity of different commercial coffee cultivars grown in India during the last 90 years is scarce.In the present study, the genetic diversity of selected coffee cultivars, along with some advanced breeding lines, was evaluated using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR), and sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) or the genetic diversity of ISSR primers (0.365) was higher than that for both RAPD (0.222) and SRAP primers (0.346). The average resolving power (Rp) of SRAP primers (13.29) was slightly lower than that of RAPD (13.60) but higher than that of ISSR primers (11.23). The genetic similarity among various cultivars using Jaccard's similarity coefficients ranged from 0.74 to 0.99 using RAPD, 0.48 to 0.94 using SRAP marker, and 0.57 to 0.95 using ISSR systems. Based on the marker analysis, all 24 coffee cultivars were clustered into two major groups, of which one is represented by cultivars belonging to C. arabica and the other group represented by C. canephora. Of the three marker systems used, the SRAP marker system was more informative and amplified several cultivar-specific fragments. The use of molecular markers can speed up genetic improvement of coffee cultivars.

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The mean performance study was carried out in coconut for the growth, yield and nut quality traits of exotic and indigenous coconut accessions which is maintained at ICAR, CPCRI, RC, Kidu. Wide variations on the growth parameters observed in the within the studied accessions. Among the twenty eight accessions, maximum vegetative characters viz., trunk girth at 1.5m height of stem in Bari Narikel-II (102.7 cm), number of functional leaves in Sambava Green Tall (36.1), length of petiole (172.0 cm) and length of leaflet bearing portion (464.5 cm) in Comoros Red Tall and number of paired leaflet in King Kumbra Tall (123.2) were recorded. The total bunches on the crown was recorded high in Bari Narikel II (17.6), number of bunches on crown with below fist size fruits (4.0) was high in the Comoros Tall Uzirpur Tall, Bari Narikel II and Sri Lankan Yellow Dwarf II and above fist size was high in Bari Narikel II (13.6). The mean number of fruits below fist size was recorded more in Chinashukania Tall (321.9) and above fist size fruits recorded high in Sambava Green Tall (131.5). The maximum nut characters viz., whole fruit weight (1734.7 gm), per cent of husk to whole nut weight (47.4 %) and fresh endosperm (449 gm) were observed in Guelle Rose Tall and Volume of endosperm cavity was in Sri Lankan Red Dwarf II (339.4 ml). From the study of mean performance of the accessions, it is difficult to postulate a single accessions with all the desirable traits combined together. However, based on growth and various yield attributing traits, the tall accessions Bari Narikel-II, Chandan Nagar Tall, Panama Tall, West Coast Tall, Rupdia Tall and Kayemkola Tall can be grouped as promising for the productivity traits. Hence, this accession can be included in to the further breeding programme to develop the new high yielding variety.