Abstract

Estimating genetic parameters is an essential procedure to define strategies for breeding and selection of higher yielding genotypes. The use of a selection index can assist in decision making by combining the high yield trait with other desirable traits. The objective of this study was to verify the possibility of gains from selection in a sweet potato population to select potentially promising genotypes. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design, with three plants per plot and two replications, consisting of 255 sweet potato genotypes and a commercial cultivar (256 treatments). The data were analyzed through REML/BLUP. Genetic gains were evaluated using selection indexes based on the rank sun. The plant population tested showed high genetic variability; 81.25% of the traits had genotypic coefficients of variation above 20%, which indicates conditions favorable to selection with considerable genetic advances. CERAT31-01, CERAT21-02, and CERAT51-30 can be recommended as the most promising genotypes.

Highlights

  • Sweet potato (Ipomoea batata) is a tuberous vegetable grown throughout Brazil due to its hardiness, easy management, low production cost, and wide range of use

  • Current expectations are that Brazilian sweet potato breeding programs will achieve development of new cultivars that meet the demands of farmers for increased yield and that result in sustainable development of sweet potato production in Brazil (EMBRAPA 2016)

  • The genotypic coefficients of variation (CVg) showed genetic variability among the 255 genotypes for most of the 16 traits evaluated (Table 1): 81.25% of the traits had CVg above 20%; 12.5% had CVg from 10% to 20%; and 6.25% had CVg below 10%

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Summary

Introduction

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batata) is a tuberous vegetable grown throughout Brazil due to its hardiness, easy management, low production cost, and wide range of use. Sweet potato has high yield potential and wide phenotypic and genotypic variability, but the average yield in Brazil is low: approximately 12 Mg ha-1 (Oliveira et al 2017). This is because most sweet potato crops are grown from local non-selected varieties and use a low level of technology, which results in yields below crop potential. Current expectations are that Brazilian sweet potato breeding programs will achieve development of new cultivars that meet the demands of farmers for increased yield and that result in sustainable development of sweet potato production in Brazil (EMBRAPA 2016)

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