Abstract
Using 77 single-nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers and dot-blot analysis, we examined 218 rice cultivars, respectively occupying 99% and 92% of the planted areas of non-glutinous and glutinous rice for three consecutive years from 2003 to 2005 in Japan. Among them, 205 cultivars were identified at one time by the genotypes of 18 markers, but 13 cultivars belonged to six groups in which cultivars were indistinguishable from each other. The 205 cultivars were individually distinguished from the others using combinations of up to six markers. This result was considered to be useful for the identification of Japanese commercial rice cultivars, monitoring the contamination of rice with other cultivars, and rice breeding using these cultivars.
