Abstract
Brazil is the largest charcoal producers in the world, with the main centers of charcoal consumption located in the states of Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Espírito Santo, Maranhão, and Pará. Planting of Eucalyptus in the northern and northeastern states of Brazil is relatively new and is limited the lack of genetic materials adapted to the region’s high temperatures and severe, prolonged periods of drought. The objective of this study was to assess the genetic parameters and variability and determine the genotype x environment interaction for drought tolerance in Eucalyptus clonal tests established in two environments in the municipality of Grajaú, Maranhão State, Brazil. The tests were planted in January 2011 in clayey and sandy soils in a randomized complete block design with 130 clones, one plant per plot, and 20 replicates. The studied clones showed high genetic variability for drought tolerance, with coefficients of relative variance () consistently greater than 0.8 for DBH and volume. This indicates high levels of genetic control and less influence of environmental factors on the phenotype, which allows for selection and obtaining gains through breeding. Heritability estimates were high for growth traits, with average clone heritabilities () greater than 0.85, as well as acuracies () above 0.9 for DBH and volume in clone selection. There was a simple interaction between genotype x environment for the clones under the two different soil conditions.
Highlights
Brazil is among the main producers of crude steel and pig iron, and charcoal is one of the most important fuel sources for the national steel industry
The mortality rate increased throughout tree development (Figure 2), reaching 46.4% in the environment with clay soil and 49.3% in the sandy soil environment
The mortality rate (Figure 2) in the clay soil environment was consistently lower in relation the sandy soil, demonstrating the superior quality of the site with clay soils
Summary
Brazil is among the main producers of crude steel and pig iron, and charcoal is one of the most important fuel sources for the national steel industry. In 2016, the national steel industry consumed 4.5 million tons of charcoal (IBÁ, 2017). The total area of trees planted in Brazil was 7.84 million hectares; of which, 34% belongs to cellulose and paper companies, 29% are independently owned or rented (small and medium-sized producers that invest in forest plantations for the commercialization of raw wood), and 14% produce charcoal for the steel industry(IBÁ, 2017). There more than 120 industries that use charcoal to produce pig iron, iron alloys, and steel, with the main centers of charcoal consumption located in the states of Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Espírito Santo, Maranhão, and Pará (IBÁ, 2017). According to Stape et al(2004),water availability is the most limiting factor in the fertilized planting of Eucalyptus
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