40, MO 17, MO 6, Ptb 39 and KTR 2 from Kerala state, South India were analyzed by Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Out of twenty
10-mer RAPD primers screened initially, eleven were chosen and used in a comparative analysis of different varieties of rice. Of the 101 total RAPD
fragments amplified, 28 (27.72%) were found to be shared by individuals of all eight varieties. The remaining 73 fragments were found to be
polymorphic (72.27%). The average gene diversity or heterozygosity for over all varieties was 0.224. This Study offered a rapid and reliable method
for the estimation of variability between different accessions which could be utilized by the breeders for further improvement of the local rice
varieties