Abstract
Under the hypothesis of distinction and characterization of promising genotypes in the genetic improvement of castor, the aim of this work was to evaluate the agronomic performance, phenotypic adaptability and genetic divergence among castor genotypes grown in Savanna-Pantanal ecotone. The experiment was conducted in the years 2009 and 2010 in the experimental area of the State University of Mato Grosso do Sul. The treatments consisted of 7 castor genotypes (BRS Energia, IAC 2028, IAC-Guarani, BRS Nordestina, BRS Paraguacu, IAC-80 and IAC-226) arranged in a randomized block design with three replications. Was assessed the following characters: plant height, stem diameter, number of fruits and productivity. Data were subjected to analysis of individual and joint variance and means compared by Skott-Knott test. The phenotypic stability was estimated productivity data by the method of Lins and Binns. The genetic divergence between the genotypes was determined by the methods of Ward’s and Tocher’s, having as dissimilarity measure the Mahalanobis’s distance. The genotype BRS Energia showed higher productivity and phenotypic adaptability. The crossing of this genotype with BRS Paraguacu can obtain a hybrid with high heterosis effect, and consequently, high productivity.
Highlights
Castor (Ricinus communis L.) belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae, being a valuable oilseed crop that provides almost the entire world’s supply of hydroxy fatty acids
The implementation of strategies to facilitate the development of castor genotypes with higher oil content and adjusted to different environmental conditions is vital for the castor to be consolidated as an important component of the national program for the production of biodiesel (Machado et al, 2013)
The experimental design was a randomized block with three replications, and the treatments consisted of seven castor genotypes
Summary
Castor (Ricinus communis L.) belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae, being a valuable oilseed crop that provides almost the entire world’s supply of hydroxy fatty acids. It is an essentially tropical/subtropical species and it grows naturally over a wide range of geographical regions including temperate areas. Exploitation of castor ranges from the simple harvesting of beans to wild plants, through the cultivation of hybrid varieties and use of improved cultivation methods. The main product which is obtained from the industrialization of castor is the oil, which has industrial uses for the manufacturing of paints, varnishes, soaps, synthetic fibers, plastics, dyes, aniline and lubricants (Torres et al, 2013). The implementation of strategies to facilitate the development of castor genotypes with higher oil content and adjusted to different environmental conditions is vital for the castor to be consolidated as an important component of the national program for the production of biodiesel (Machado et al, 2013)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Revista de Ciências Agrarias - Amazon Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
