Pedigrees and dense marker panels have been used to predict the genetic merit of individuals in plant and animal breeding, accounting primarily for the contribution of additive effects. However, nonadditive effects may also affect trait variation in many breeding systems, particularly when specific combining ability is explored. Here we used models with different priors, and including additive-only and additive plus dominance effects, to predict polygenic (height) and oligogenic (fusiform rust resistance) traits in a structured breeding population of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). Models were largely similar in predictive ability, and the inclusion of dominance only improved modestly the predictions for tree height. Next, we simulated a genetically similar population to assess the ability of predicting polygenic and oligogenic traits controlled by different levels of dominance. The simulation showed an overall decrease in the accuracy of total genomic predictions as dominance increases, regardless of the method used for prediction. Thus, dominance effects may not be accounted for as effectively in prediction models compared with traits controlled by additive alleles only. When the ratio of dominance to total phenotypic variance reached 0.2, the additive–dominance prediction models were significantly better than the additive-only models. However, in the prediction of the subsequent progeny population, this accuracy increase was only observed for the oligogenic trait.

Resumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar os parâmetros genéticos e predizer o valor genético de populações e indivíduos oriundos de populações segregantes de trigo, com o uso da metodologia de modelos mistos ("restricted maximum likelihood"/"best linear unbiased prediction", REML/BLUP). Trinta e seis populações segregantes de trigo e quatro controles foram avaliados na geração F 3 , em delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com informações de indivíduo retiradas de dentro das parcelas. Os caracteres avaliados foram: produção de grãos, índice de colheita, número de perfilhos e altura de planta. Observou-se a existência de variabilidade genética entre populações em todos os caracteres avaliados. A herdabilidade média variou de 39,15 a 92,78%, e a acurácia, de 62,57 a 96,32%, na seleção de populações. A herdabilidade individual no sentido restrito foi baixa dentro das populações, em todos os caracteres. A acurácia na seleção individual apresentou magnitude média, quanto ao caráter altura de plantas, e baixa quanto aos demais caracteres. A herdabilidade individual contribui para maior ganho nos caracteres altura de planta e índice de colheita com o uso do BLUP individual, em comparação ao BLUP de populações. As populações segregantes Embrapa22/BRS207, Embrapa22/ VI98053, Embrapa22/IVI01041, BRS254/BRS207, BRS254/VI98053, BRS254/UFVT1Pioneiro e BRS264/ BRS207 destacam-se por apresentar valor genético aditivo elevado em dois ou mais caracteres.Termos para indexação: Triticum aestivum, análise de deviance, dados desbalanceados, estratégias de melhoramento, população segregante, REML/BLUP. Estimation of genetic parameters and prediction of additive genetic value for wheat by mixed modelsAbstract -The objective of this work was to estimate the genetic parameters and to predict the genotypic value of populations and individuals from wheat segregating populations, using the methodology of mixed models (restricted maximum likelihood/best linear unbiased prediction, REML/BLUP). Thirty-six wheat segregating populations and four controls were evaluated in the F 3 generation, in a randomized complete block design, with individual information taken from within the plots. The evaluated traits were: grain yield, harvest index, number of tillers, and plant height. Genetic variability between populations was observed for all evaluated traits. The mean heritability varied from 39.15 to 92.78%, and accuracy varied from 62.57 to 96.32% in the selection of populations. The narrow-sense individual heritability was low within populations for all traits. The accuracy for individual selection had a moderate value for plant height, and low values for the other traits. Individual heritability contributes to a greater gain for the traits plant height and harvest index with the use of individual BLUP, in comparison to population BLUP. The segregating populations Embrapa22/BRS207, Embrapa22/VI98053, Embrapa22/IVI01041, BRS254/BRS207, BRS254/VI98053, BRS254/UFVT1Pioneiro, and BRS264/BRS207 stand out with high additive genetic value, for two or mor...

The genetic merit of individuals can be estimated using models with dense markers and pedigree information. Early genomic models accounted only for additive effects. However, the prediction of non-additive effects is important for different forest breeding systems where the whole genotypic value can be captured through clonal propagation. In this study, we evaluated the integration of marker data with pedigree information, in models that included or ignored non-additive effects. We tested the models Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces (RKHS) and BayesA, with additive and additive-dominance frameworks. Model performance was assessed for the traits tree height, diameter at breast height and rust resistance, measured in 923 pine individuals from a structured population of 71 full-sib families. We have also simulated a population with similar genetic properties and evaluated the performance of models for six simulated traits with distinct genetic architectures. Different cross validation strategies were evaluated, and highest accuracies were achieved using within family cross validation. The inclusion of pedigree information in genomic prediction models did not yield higher accuracies. The different RKHS models resulted in similar predictions accuracies, and RKHS and BayesA generated substantially better predictions than pedigree-only models. The additive-BayesA resulted in higher accuracies than RKHS for rust incidence and in simulated additive-oligogenic traits. For DBH, HT and additive-dominance polygenic traits, the RKHS- based models showed slightly higher accuracies than BayesA. Our results indicate that BayesA performs the best for traits with few genes with major effects, while RKHS based models can best predict genotypic effects for clonal selection of complex traits.

- (1965-1980, 1981-1990, 1991-2000 and 2001-2012). For each grouping, the previously described factors were also estimated. A total of 110 cultivars were studied and it was concluded that the genetic base of Brazilian irrigated rice cultivars is narrow.

RESUMO Diversidade genética em pinheira (Annona squamosa L.) por meio de marcadores RAPDA diversidade genética da coleção de 64 acessos de pinheira, coletados em diferentes cidades, no norte do Estado de Minas Gerais, foi avaliada por meio do uso de marcadores RAPD. Foram selecionados 20 primers RAPD que geraram 167 fragmentos, dos quais 48 foram polimórficos (28,7%), produzindo uma média de 2,4 fragmentos polimórficos por primer. Baixa percentagem de polimorfismo foi obtida com o conjunto de primers (< 29%), indicando baixa variação genética entre os 64 acessos avaliados. As distâncias genéticas foram estimadas, utilizando-se o coeficiente de similaridade de Jaccard. Acessos de diferentes cidades foram agrupados em um mesmo grupo, indicando que não há correlação entre os agrupamentos moleculares e origem geográfica. O dendrograma revelou cinco grupos. O primeiro grupo reuniu os acessos C19 e G29, coletados nas cidades de Verdelândia e Monte Azul, respectivamente. O segundo grupo reuniu os acessos G16 e B11, coletados nas cidades de Monte Azul e Coração de Jesus, respectivamente. Os acessos remanescentes foram agrupados em três grupos, com oito, 15 e 37 acessos, respectivamente. O marcador RAPD apresentou baixo nível de polimorfismo entre os acessos avaliados. Genetic diversity in sugar apple (Annona squamosa L.) by using RAPD markers PalavrasGenetic diversity in a collection of 64 sugar apple accessions collected from different municipalities in northern Minas Gerais was assessed by RAPD analysis. Using 20 selected RAPD primers 167 fragments were generated, of which 48 were polymorphic (28.7%) producing an average of 2.4 polymorphic fragments per primer. Low percentage of polymorphism (< 29%) was observed by using the set of primers indicating low level of genetic variation among the 64 accessions evaluated. Genetic relationships were estimated using Jaccard's coefficient of similarity. Accessions from different municipalities clustered together indicating no correlation between molecular grouping and geographical origin. The dendrogram revealed five clusters. The first cluster grouped C19 and G29 accessions collected from the municipalities of Verdelândia and Monte Azul, respectively. The second cluster grouped G16 and B11 accessions collected from the municipalities of Monte Azul and Coração de Jesus, respectively. The remaining accessions were grouped in three clusters, with 8, 15 and 37 accessions, respectively. In summary, RAPD showed a low percentage of polymorphism in the germplasm collection.

ABSTRACT. The breeding of sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, aimed at improving its nutritional quality, is of great interest, since it can be used as a highly nutritive alternative food source and can possibly be cultivated in regions with low rainfall. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the potential and genetic diversity of grain-sorghum hybrids for traits of agronomic and nutritional interest. To this end, the traits grain yield and flowering, and concentrations of protein, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, manganese, and zinc in the grain were evaluated in 25 grain-sorghum hybrids, comprising 18 experimental hybrids of Embrapa Milho e Sorgo and seven commercial hybrids. The genetic potential was analyzed by a multi-trait best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) model, and cluster analysis was accomplished by squared Mahalanobis distance using the predicted genotypic values. Hybrids 0306037 and 0306034 stood out in the agronomic evaluation. The hybrids with agronomic prominence, however, did not stand out for the traits related to the nutritional quality of the grain. Three clusters were formed from the dendrogram obtained with the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean method. From the results of the genotypic BLUP and the analysis of the dendrogram, hybrids 0577337, 0441347, 0307651, and 0306037 were identified as having the potential to establish a population that can aggregate alleles for all the evaluated traits of interest.

RESUMOInformações sobre a divergência fenotípica entre cultivares permitem evitar a homogeneidade de cultivo, que pode resultar em vulnerabilidade a doenças e pragas. Nos programas de melhoramento genético, tais conhecimentos facilitam a escolha de genitores divergentes, os quais, quando cruzados, proporcionam maior efeito heterótico e maior variabilidade nas populações segregantes. No presente trabalho foi avaliada a divergência fenotípica entre 12 genótipos de arroz de terras altas em dois locais na Zona da Mata do Estado de Pernambuco com base em caracteres agronômicos. Foram constatadas diferenças significativas entre os genótipos para nove dos 12 caracteres estudados, sendo que para três, verificou-se interação genótipo x ambiente. A divergência variou de 0,083 a 0,583 considerando-se os genótipos dois a dois, e entre os que podem ser mais amplamente utilizados, as duas combinações com maior divergência em ambos os locais foram Rio Parnaíba x BRSMG (curinga) e Rio Parnaíba x BRS (primavera). O agrupamento mostrou maior separação do PB 5 em relação aos demais, tendo sido formados outros dois grupos bem definidos principalmente em relação ao comportamento dos genótipos em Vitória de Santo Antão.Palavras-chave: Arroz de sequeiro, caracteres agronômicos, dissimilaridade. Phenotypic divergence among upland rice genotypes ABSTRACTInformation about the genetic divergence among cultivars could be used in order to avoid the homogeneity in cultivation and the consequent vulnerability to diseases and plagues. On breeding programs, this information facilitates the choice of dissimilar parents that, when crossed, provide higher variability on segregating populations. The aim of this work was to evaluate the divergence among 12 genotypes of upland rice in two sites of Zona da Mata region in Pernambuco, Brazil, using agronomic characters. There were significant differences among the genotypes for nine of the 12 characters studied, while genotype x environmental interaction was observed for three characters. The genetic divergence ranged from 0.083 to 0.583 considering each pair of genotypes and for the genotypes that could be more widely used in both places. The highest divergence was found between Rio Parnaíba x BRSMG (curinga) and Rio Parnaíba x BRS (primavera). The genotypes clustering showed higher PB 5 separation than the other genotypes, while two other well defined groups were formed, mainly in relation to the behavior of the genotypes in Vitoria de Santo Antão, Pernambuco, Brazil.

The effect of plant growth regulators in the development of fruit of atemoya (Annona cherimola x A. squamosa cv. Gefner)This study aimed to to evaluate the effect of plant growth regulators on the fruit set of atemoya 'Gefner'. Three experiments were carried out in the municipality of Matias Cardoso, North of Minas Gerais. In the first experiment four types of auxins, indol-butyric acid (IBA), indol-acetic acid (IAA), naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) were evaluated combined in three concentrations (150, 300 and 450 mg L -1 ). The giberellic acid (GA 3 ) also was used in the dosage of 1 g L -1 , at 14 and 21 days after the first application of the auxins. In the second experiment the IAA, IBA and NAA were tested combined in two concentrations (450 and 600 mg L -1 ). In the third experiment, the use of NAA was evaluated in the dose of 450 mg L -1 associated with number of applications: weekly up to 35 days; weekly up to 70 days; weekly up to 105 days and every 2 weeks. The GA 3 was used in the dosage of 1 g L -1 , in four applications, to 13, 27, 41 and 54 days after the first application of NAA. In all of experiments, the