Genetic parameters in Conilon coffee in an irrigated systema in cerrado

Abstract

The production of robusta coffee plays a significant role in the Brazilian economy and the agriculture of various Brazilian states due to its adaptability and high yield. The characterization of genetic resources and the estimation of genetic parameters of populations contribute to breeding programs in the development of genotypes adapted to the irrigated cultivation system in the Cerrado, for the target traits. The objective was to characterize the available genetic resources of robusta coffee in elite collections and estimate genetic parameters related to agronomic traits in an irrigated cultivation system in the Cerrado. Productivity, processed coffee yield, plant height, and the number of vegetative and reproductive nodes in plagiotropic branches were evaluated for 35 robusta coffee genotypes over two consecutive years, using a split-plot design with genotypes as the main plots, replicated three times, and years as the subplots. The data were subjected to analysis of variance, and genetic parameters were estimated. Significant genotype effects were observed only for plant height. Significant effects were observed for the year factor and genotype x year interaction for all traits. High heritability values and a genotypic coefficient of variation greater than the environmental coefficient of variation were obtained for plant height. Negative genotypic variances were obtained for the other traits. Favorable conditions exist for selecting smaller stature genotypes based on plant height, associated with productivity.