Abstract
The aim of this research was to study the effects of recurrent selection on the genetic variability of UNB-2U popcorn population after three cycles of recurrent selection (mass selection, full-sib selection and S1 families) based on RAPD markers in 30 progenies from each selection cycle. There was no significant variation between the C0 and C2 cycles based on RAPD, showing that the use of different recurrent selection strategies in the cycles did not decrease genetic variability, due to the size of the population selected in the different cycles. The significant difference observed between mean values of C1 and C2 cycles was attributed to the smaller population size in C1 generation. Individuals were distributed into three large clusters and 20% of the individuals were placed in a group different from their original cycle. This can be explained by alleles’ transference from one generation to another and by the relationship between cycles
Highlights
Genetic variability is essential for a breeding program success, especially when the recurrent selection method is used
Three populations were analyzed in the present study: the base population derived from the second mass selection cycle (C0); the population derived from the first recurrent selection of full sib families (C1); and the population derived from the second recurrent selection of S1 families (C2)
The resolution of the bands was confident for scoring, indicating trustable results produced by this technique to evaluate genetic variability in popcorn populations
Summary
Genetic variability is essential for a breeding program success, especially when the recurrent selection method is used. This method ensures the gradual increase of favorable alleles frequency without reducing the population’s genetic variability (Hallauer and Miranda Filho, 1981; Paterniani and Miranda Filho, 1987). It has been reported by several authors that there is reduction in maize genetic variability after recurrent selection cycles, usually due to reduced population size. Hallauer (1971), for example, studied the BSSS population and verified a reduction in the estimates of variance components after four selection cycles, while Helms et al (1989) reported Acta Sci. Agron. After 14 selection cycles, it was observed that genetic variability decreased in the plant cycles and the genetic divergence increased among the selection cycles
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