In this study, 34 molecular markers of starch synthesis-related genes were used to evaluate the genetic variation and population structure of 87 indica rice cultivars from different countries and regions. The results showed that a total of 80 alleles were amplified using 34 primer pairs, with an average of 2.5 alleles per locus. The allele number varied from 2 to 6 among various cultivars. Shannon＇s diversity index of molecular markers varied from 0.303 to 0.796, with an average of 0.539. Polymorphism information content （PIC） varied from 0.084 to 0.658, with an average of 0.295. The genetic similarity coefficients of 87 indica rice cultivars ranged from 0.265 to 0.990, indicating significant genetic differences of starch synthesis-related genes among different cultivars, but the variation frequency of alleles varied among different cultivars. Population structure analysis showed that these 87 indica rice cultivars were divided into three categories. Genetic differences were small within the same category but great among different categories. Moreover, indica rice cultivars with simple genetic components accounted for 39.1% and those with complex genetic background accounted for 60.9%. This study may not only provide theoretical basis for genetic improvement of rice starch quality, but also lay a solid foundation for subsequent association analysis of rice quality-related traits.
