Abstract
The soybean has an important role in the area of biodiesel, due to having a productive potential and technical feasibility able to meet the growing demand for renewable fuels. In the agricultural year of 2009/10, four competitive trials of soybean cultivars were carried out, two on the Campus of Palmas University and the other two on the University Campus at Gurupi, with a study of genetic divergence being undertaken. At each location, the cultivars were trained under conditions of both high and low phosphorus (150 kg ha -1 P 2 O 5 and 30 kg ha -1 P 2 O 5 respectively). The experimental design employed for each trial was of randomised blocks with three replications and 11 treatments. The percentage of oil as a characteristic was studied, and the efficiency of phosphorus usage by the cultivars determined employing the methodology adapted from Fischer (1983). Genetic divergence was evaluated using multivariate procedures: the generalised Mahalanobis distance and Tocher's optimisation method for clustering. In the study of genetic divergence, each test represented a distinct variable in the multivariate model. The cultivars M-SOY 9350, M 8766RR and BR/EMGOPA 314 are the most suitable for the production of biodiesel. The hybrids M 8766RR x M 9056RR, BR/EMGOPA 314 x M 9056RR, P98R91 x M 9056RR are promising for obtaining segregating populations to be used for their oil content.
Highlights
In the State of Tocantins in Brazil, the cultivation of oilseed plants has increased in recent years due to the abundance of water resources, the favourable edaphoclimatic conditions, the strategic location of the BR 153 highway, implementation of the North-South railway and of the Tocantins-Araguaia Waterway (PELUZIO et al, 2006)
Under conditions of low phosphorous availability in the soil, strains and soybean cultivars which are suitable for and efficient in the use of this nutrient, show better productive performance. Obtaining these efficient genotypes will be possible with a better understanding of the physiological and genetic bases for phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) (LIAO et al, 2006)
Due to the soybean having the potential for use as a source of biofuel, coupled with the low natural fertility of soils in the cerrado, studies should be carried out into phosphorus use efficiency for the characteristic of the grain oil content, as well as a study into genetic divergence, both of which this paper proposes to do
Summary
In the State of Tocantins in Brazil, the cultivation of oilseed plants has increased in recent years due to the abundance of water resources, the favourable edaphoclimatic conditions, the strategic location of the BR 153 highway, implementation of the North-South railway and of the Tocantins-Araguaia Waterway (PELUZIO et al, 2006). Under conditions of low phosphorous availability in the soil, strains and soybean cultivars which are suitable for and efficient in the use of this nutrient, show better productive performance Obtaining these efficient genotypes will be possible with a better understanding of the physiological and genetic bases for phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) (LIAO et al, 2006). It is necessary to have knowledge of how developed characteristics are inherited and of the genetic background of the parent plants; this information being obtained through the study of genetic divergence (CEOLIN et al, 2007; MACHADO et al, 2002; RODRIGUES et al, 2002) In this respect, it is through the study of genetic diversity among individuals or populations, using agronomic, morphological and molecular characteristics to which, in turn are applied multivariate biometric techniques, unifying different information from a set of characteristics and providing guidelines for crossings which result in hybrid combinations of higher heterozygosity, that there is a greater possibility of obtaining superior genotypes in segregating generations (CLEMENTE, CAHOON, 2009; FERRÃO et al, 2002). Due to the soybean having the potential for use as a source of biofuel, coupled with the low natural fertility of soils in the cerrado, studies should be carried out into phosphorus use efficiency for the characteristic of the grain oil content, as well as a study into genetic divergence, both of which this paper proposes to do
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