Avaliação morfológica de clones e progênies de palma forrageira

Abstract

This research aimed the morphological characterization the evaluation of the genetic divergence of Opuntia ficus-indica genotypes through multivariate techniques, as well as the estimation of genetic parameters and selection of progenies by REML/BLUP methodology. They were realizing two experiments in the Experimental Station of Pernambuco, Agricultural Research Institute – IPA, Northeast Brazil. The experiment 1 was installed at the São Bento do Una in 2006, with the goal of assessing the genetic divergence among eight Opuntia sp. and Nopalea sp. clones (Algerian, Copena F1, Chile Fruit, “Gigante”, IPA-20, “Miúde”, “Orelha de Elefante Africana” and “Redonda”), estimate the importance of each character for the genetic divergence and the linear correlation using 13 quantitative traits. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences between genotypes and can detect the formation of three genetically distinct groups. The group 1, formed by Algerian genotypes, Chile Fruit, Copena F1, Gigante, IPA-20; the group 2 with “Orelha de Elefante Africana” and “Redonda” varieties; and group 3, comprised by “Miúda” variety. The traits that most contribute for the genetic divergence were width and length of cladodes, with 48.32% of the total variation. The most significant correlations occurred between length and the perimeter of cladode (r = 0.83) and number of cladodes from first order with number of cladodes of the second order (r = 0.82). Therefore, concluded that there was phenotypic divergence among the eight Opuntia and Nopalea genotypes studied, showing potential for use in breeding programs. In the experiment 2, located in the Arcoverde Experimental Station, the aim was to evaluate 11 Opuntia sp. sib progenies obtained from the crossing of seven genotypes (“Gigante”, “Redonda”, IPA-20, Algerian, Copena F1, Chile Fruit and SB1), in order to select superior genotypes as well as estimate the components of variance and genotypic parameters, using the REML/BLUP methodology. Estimates of heritability in the broad sense were of high magnitude for plant height, width and length of the cladodes, showing good control and the possibility of genetic advances with significant genetic selection. For the ordering of genotypic averages, P6 progenies (Copena F1 x “Gigante”) and P10 (Algerian x “Redonda”) were classified as the best.