Caracterização morfológica e estimativas de parâmetros genéticos em melão do grupo momordica

Abstract

The morphological characterization provides us several data bases about the existence of phenotype variability, allowing us to use the genetic resources in a rational and sustainable way, while the estimates of genetic parameters brief us about the nature of the gene action related to the inheritance of characters, and may be applied to help choosing more efficient methods of selection. This work goals to characterize and estimate the genetic parameters for morphologic characters of 19 accesses of melons of momordica group, two cultivars of inodorus group and two cultivars of cantalupensis group. Data was obtained from an experiment in randomized block design and eight replications, performed at the greenhouse of Rural Federal University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), at Recife – Brazil, between April and July 2013. The characterization of the fruits was made by the list of morphological descriptors for melons published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply of Brazil and IPGRI – International Plant Genetic Resources Institute. The accesses showed genetic variability to the most of assessed characteristics. However, only the accesses A-10, A-13 and A-19 showed some difference of pulp and peel colors. In general, the accesses presented good production, earliness, long fruit with thick flesh and low rates of soluble solids. As for the estimates of genetic parameters, the numbers showed high heritability (71.77 to 98.66%), coefficient of genetic variation (from 3.70 to 72.04%) and ratio CVg / CVe (0.56 to 3.03), revealing high genetic variability between the accesses, suggesting that simpler selection methods can be applied, resulting in genetic gain when selection is made. The genetic correlations presented similar traces between them and higher values when compared to their respective phenotype and environmental correlations when assessed the major part of pairs. Positive and high magnitude correlations were obtained from the following pairs: pulp thickness x soluble solids, flesh thickness x average fruit weight, soluble solids x number of days to maturity and average fruit weight x number of days to maturity, while the reasons length / width of the fruit were negatively correlated with most of the assessed characteristics, suggesting us that the selection against the character will indirectly afford pulp thickness and average fruit weight at characteristics increase.