Triple plagiotropic branch in coffee: a new promising mutant?

Ney Sussumu Sakiyama,Antonio Alves Pereira,Eveline Teixeira Caixeta,Laércio Zambolim,Edgard Augusto De Toledo Picoli,Hermínia Emília Prieto Martinez,Antonio Carlos Baião De Oliveira

doi:10.1590/1984-70332017v17n4n61

Abstract

Abstract Coffee tree is a shrub with dimorphic branches. The orthotropic stem grows vertically with two near-horizontal plagiotropic branches, per node, in opposite phyllotaxy. The consecutive nodes of the orthotropic stem are organized in parastichies. We report here mutant plants of Coffea arabica with triple plagiotropic branch, resulted from the whorled phyllotaxy of the orthotropic stem. In mutant plants three plagiotropic branches in the same node are separated by angles of approximately 120o, while in normal plants two plagiotropic branches in the same node are separated by angles of approximately 180o. In mutant plants the angles of the parastichies increase approximately 50o clockwise between consecutive nodes, while in normal plants the angles increase approximately 87o. The plant architecture is changed. The triple plagiotropic branch is a putative mutant with potential to be explored in coffee breeding programs. The hypotheses for the origin of the mutation and the research perspectives are discussed.

Highlights

The genus Coffea L. currently comprises 124 species (Davis et al 2011)
We report here mutant plants of C. arabica with triple plagiotropic branch, resulted from the whorled phyllotaxy of the orthotropic stem
Three leaves arise at the apical node of the orthotropic stem, preceding the three plagiotropic branches

Summary

Introduction

The genus Coffea L. currently comprises 124 species (Davis et al 2011). Two cultivated species account for almost all the world coffee production and consumption: C. arabica L. (arabica coffee) and C. canephora Pierre ex A. An orthotropic stem grows vertically and forms, at each node, two plagiotropic branches, in opposite phyllotaxy. The angles of the parastichies increase approximately 90o clockwise between consecutive nodes counted from the plant apices. We report here mutant plants of C. arabica with triple plagiotropic branch, resulted from the whorled phyllotaxy of the orthotropic stem.

Results

Conclusion