Phenotypic and molecular selection of yellow passion fruit progenies in the second cycle of recurrent selection

Ronaldo Viana Dos Reis,Eder Jorge De Oliveira,Marcelo Geraldo De Moraes Silva,Alexandre Pio Viana

doi:10.1590/s1984-70332012000100003

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of selection of a population of yellow passion fruit in the second cycle of recurrent selection, based on molecular and agronomic data. In 39 full-sib progenies, genotyped using microsatellite markers, 11 agronomic traits were evaluated. The progenies were selected based on the genetic distance matrix and the selection efficiency was confirmed based on the most important agronomic traits of yellow passion fruit. Only 12 of the 25 best progenies were identified by all three selection strategies (agronomic, molecular and combined selection). No significant correlation was observed between the genetic distance matrices and the molecular x agronomic data. The progenies selected by molecular markers had the highest mean yield and fruit number. Results indicate the possibility of applying this combined selection procedure based on agronomic as well as molecular data to optimize genetic gain for the traits under selection.

Highlights

Brazil is the third largest fruit producer in the world, behind only China and India
It is essential that the selected progenies be divergent enough to ensure the restoration of genetic variability in the recombination process, underlying the continuity of the following cycles
Advances in the molecular marker technology have allowed the integration of information obtained on the basis of classical methods with molecular data

Summary

Introduction

Brazil is the third largest fruit producer in the world, behind only China and India In this context, the estimates of the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (www.ibge.gov.br) indicate Brazil as the the leading position of Brazil in production, the annual national output is still very low (10-15 t ha-1), mainly due to the marginal use of crop-specific production technologies and insufficient supply of improved genotypes. Recurrent selection comprises the development and evaluation of a population, selection of the best plants and their use in the formation of a new parental population (Fehr 1987) In this last stage, it is essential that the selected progenies be divergent enough to ensure the restoration of genetic variability in the recombination process, underlying the continuity of the following cycles. Advances in the molecular marker technology have allowed the integration of information obtained on the basis of classical methods with molecular data

Objectives

Methods

Results