Genetic diversity of Euterpe edulis martius based on fruit traits

Tiago De Souza Marçal,Carolina De Oliveira Bernardes,José Henrique Soler Guilhen,Adésio Ferreira,Marcia Flores Da Silva Ferreira,Wagner Bastos Dos Santos Oliveira

doi:10.14393/bj-v36n5a2020-41954

Abstract

Juçara (Euterpe edulis Martius) is a palm species from the Atlantic Forest whose fruits are important as a source of food to several individuals from the fauna of the region. Despite its ecological importance, juçara is found in the list of endangered species, due to the fragmentation of the forests and the illegal extraction of the heart of palm. We aimed to evaluate the inter- and intra-populational genetic diversity of E. edulis based on fruit and seed traits in forest fragments of the Espírito Santo State in Brazil. The aim was to generate information to be used in E. edulis breeding programs, or in the delineation of more efficient management and reforestation strategies. The study was carried out in 20 forest fragments and 198 fruit plants were sampled. Positive genetic association was observed between the evaluated traits, with the longitudinal diameter of the fruit (LDF) and the seed mass (SM) greatly affecting fruit mass (FM). The existence of inter- and intra-populational genetic divergence was proved. The genetic divergence found in E. edulis suggests that there is genetic material that can be explored in breeding programs and this information may also contribute to management strategies that can increase the species genetic diversity.

Highlights

The genus Euterpe belongs to the Arecaceae family, which are restricted to tropical and subtropical climates, comprising the oldest individuals in the planet
The genotypes were collected in 20 forest fragments located in the southern region of Espírito Santo (municipalities: Muqui (MQ) - 1 fragment; Mimoso do Sul (MI) - 3 fragments; and Jerônimo Monteiro (JM) - 1 fragment) and Caparaó (municipalities: Alegre (AL) - 8 fragments; Guaçuí (GU) - 4 fragments; and Ibitirama (IB) - 3 fragments), in Brazil
The data were analyzed using the basic model of repeatability (Equation 1) that assumes the absence of design and allows the prediction of averages corrected for the permanent phenotypical effect that is equivalent to the sum of the genetic effect and the effect of the permanent environment (RESENDE, 2002)

Summary

Introduction

The genus Euterpe belongs to the Arecaceae family, which are restricted to tropical and subtropical climates, comprising the oldest individuals in the planet. This family is responsible for supplying essential resources for the survival of different communities (BARFOD; HAGEN; BORCHSENIUS, 2011; BENCHIMOL et al, 2017). Six of them are found in Brazil: E. edulis, E. caatinga, E. oleracea, E. longebracteata, E. precatoria, and E. espiritosantensis (HENDERSON, 2000; PINATUD et al, 2008) These species interact with pollinators and dispersers, performing important roles in the structure and functioning of several ecosystems (SANTOS; VARASSIN; MUSCHNER, 2018)

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