Abstract
Assessing the parental genetic differences and their subsequent prediction of progeny performance is an important first step to assure the efficiency of any breeding program. In this study, we estimate the genetic divergence in Eucalyptus camaldulensis based on the morphological traits of 132 progenies grown in a savanna biome. Thus, a field experiment was performed using a randomized block design and five replications to compare divergences in total height, commercial height, diameter at breast height, stem form and survival rate at 48 months. Tocher’s clustering method was performed using the Mahalanobis and Euclidian distances. The Mahalanobis distance seemed more reliable for the assessed parameters and clustered all of the progenies into fourteen major groups. The most similar progenies (86 accessions) were clustered into Group I, while the most dissimilar (1 progeny) represented Group XIV. The divergence analysis indicated that promising crosses could be made between progenies allocated in different groups for high genetic divergence and for favorable morphological traits.
Highlights
In many countries, Eucalyptus has become an important wood crop, especially economically, associated with rapid growth, biomass yield and bioenergy feedstock
Genetic divergence estimation via Tocher’s method considering the Mahalanobis distance allowed the formation of fourteen different groups (Table 3)
86% of the progenies clustered as a part of group I, meaning that this group includes mostly similar genotypes
Summary
Eucalyptus has become an important wood crop, especially economically, associated with rapid growth, biomass yield and bioenergy feedstock. In Brazil alone, Eucalyptus plantations occupy approximately 5.1 million hectares [1] and contribute to the foreign trade surplus, especially in the pulp and paper industries. The establishment of breeding programs with forest species is important for attaining greater productivity and wood quality without jeopardizing the genetic heritage of the elected populations [2, 3]. Knowledge of genetic diversity is important for any breeding strategy and provides a scientific basis for the better management of the genetic heritage of forest species [4]. PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0163698 September 28, 2016
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