Application of molecular markers in plant sciences; An overview

Recent advances in cellular and molecular genetics have raised new hopes among breeders, including the development of a variety of molecular markers. There are several types of markers, including morphological, molecular, and cytological markers. Molecular markers are one of the most powerful tools for studying genetic diversity. They are used in the study of phylogenetic relationships, selection of superior plants, and the study of similarities or differences between different specimens. Molecular markers are also used in germplasm management and marker-assisted selection (MAS) to increase the efficiency of germplasm breeding. Among molecular markers, DNA-based markers are of particular importance because of the limitations of morphological and isozyme markers. DNA markers are valuable tools in plant sciences. These markers do not have the problems of morphological markers and allow efficient comparisons to distinguish between very similar organisms. These markers are commonly used to assess genetic variation in agronomic germplasm, analyse population structure, localise quantitative traits (QTL), or linkage mapping for gene mapping. The increasing development of new and specific types of markers demonstrates their importance for understanding genomic diversity and diversity between similar species as well as between different plant species. In this review, we will discuss the types of markers, their advantages and disadvantages, and their applications in plant science.