AFLP is a PCR-based DNA fingerprinting technique that uses restriction enzymes to digest genomic DNA and ligate adaptors to the restriction fragments. Selected fragments are amplified using primers complementary to the adaptors. This yields highly specific and reproducible genotypic data that can be used for applications like monitoring inheritance of traits, disease diagnosis, forensic analysis, and species identification. AFLP provides polymorphic profiles even with small amounts of DNA without requiring prior genome knowledge.