Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary is a cosmopolitan, homothallic fungus, and is the most important causal agent of stem rot diseases in field crops of Iran. During 2011-2012, a total of 52 isolates of the fungus were collected from infected rapeseed plants (Brassica napus cultivar Hiola 401) from several fields of Northern Iran. The genetic diversity of S. sclerotiorum populations were assessed using Simple Sequence Repeat fingerprinting (SSR). By using five SSR primers, 27 haploid groups

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... with 14 alleles polymorphism were detected. A high level of genetic diversity 52% was observed between isolates. The results showed that there were possibly high rates of out crossing, as well as, evolutionary potential within 52 isolates obtained from different geographical locations. The variability found within closely related isolates demonstrates the effectiveness of SSR marker in identifying genetic diversity. This is the first report on genetical diversity in S. sclerotiorum populations in Mazandaran province in northern Iran.