Triticeae Genomics and Genetics, 2024, Vol.15, No.1, 10-18 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/lgg 14 resource to address this global issue, enabling Triticeae crops to adapt to new climatic conditions and ensuring the stability and sustainability of global food production (Girma, 2017). The protection and rational use of the genetic diversity of Triticeae crops is of great significance for promoting the progress of agricultural science and technology, achieving food security and sustainable development. Through modern biotechnology, such as molecular markers and gene editing technologies, genetic diversity can be used more accurately and efficiently, bringing new opportunities for genetic improvement and breeding of Triticeae crops. 3 Genetic Diversity Assessment Methods and Tools 3.1 Overview of traditional evaluation methods The traditional assessment methods of genetic diversity are mainly based on morphological analysis, physiological and ecological characteristics measurement, and biochemical marker analysis, which provide basic means for understanding and describing the diversity of plant genetic resources. Although these methods are relatively basic in the face of modern molecular marker technology, they still play an important role in resource-limited environments (Govindaraj et al., 2015). Morphological analysis is a preliminary assessment of genetic differences between plants by observing and measuring plant appearance characteristics, such as plant height, leaf shape, flower color and seed shape. This method is simple and intuitive, but may be affected by environmental factors, and the resolution is limited. The measurement of physiological and ecological characteristics involves more complex experimental conditions, and reflects the adaptability of plants to the environment by assessing their photosynthetic efficiency and salt-alkali tolerance, and reveals the physiological basis of genetic diversity (Govindaraj et al., 2015). Biochemical markers, such as isozyme analyses of proteins and enzymes, have been widely used for genetic analysis of germplasm resources because they can directly reflect genotype differences, although they can only detect the genetic variations encoding these molecules. 3.2 Application of molecular marker technology in genetic diversity assessment The application of molecular marker technology to the assessment of genetic diversity has revolutionized the face of modern genetics and breeding research, providing a way to accurately analyze and compare the genetic makeup of different individuals or populations at the DNA level. These techniques allow the assessment of genetic diversity to be independent of environmental factors, greatly improving the accuracy and efficiency of the analysis (Ramesh et al., 2020). Restricted fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) technique reveals genetic variation by analyzing length differences of DNA fragments. Although the operation is cumbersome, it provides the basis for early genetic diversity research. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technology combines the advantages of PCR and restriction enzyme digestion to generate a large number of markers without the need for specific sequence information and is suitable for a wide range of genetic analyses. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) or microsatellite markers are important tools for genetic diversity assessment, phylogenetic analysis, and breed identification due to their high polymorphism and ubiquity in the genome (Soriano, 2020). Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, with their high density and high degree of automation, have become the first choice for fine genetic analysis and genome selection breeding. These molecular marker techniques not only promote a deeper understanding of genetic diversity, but also enable scientists to quantify and characterize the genetic structure of species, the genetic differences between populations, and effectively conserve and use genetic resources. For breeding, the application of molecular marker technology accelerates the identification of favorable genetic characteristics and the process of variety improvement, making it possible to breed new varieties that adapt to environmental changes and meet human needs. 3.3 Application of bioinformatics methods to genetic diversity assessment With the rapid development of high-throughput sequencing technology, the application of bioinformatics methods in genetic diversity assessment has become an integral part, especially when processing and analyzing big data.
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