A caracterização morfológica de germoplasma é requisito básico para determinar e quantificar a variabilidade genética de germoplasma. A eliminação de descritores redundantes reduz o trabalho de tomada de dados, sem ocasionar redução na precisão da caracterização. Neste trabalho, objetivou-se analisar e quantificar a variabilidade fenotípica de matrizes de açaizeiro no nordeste paraense, analisando a importância relativa de diferentes características morfológicas para variância fenotípica. Foram analisados 22 caracteres morfométricos, sendo cinco da planta (NEP, AE, NF, CAP e CEN), seis dos frutos (DLF, DTF, PF, PS, PP e RPF) e onze agronômicos (PC, PFC, RFC, NRC, NFR, NFC, NCP, PCF, CIC, CC e PTF). Utilizou-se a análise de componentes principais e os critérios de Jolliffe, Mardia e Cury para descarte de variáveis redundantes assistidos pelas correlações de Pearson. Necessitou-se de oito caracteres para explicar 80% da variação fenotípica. Sugeriram-se para descarte os caracteres PF, PFC, NFC, RPF, PCF, PTF, DTF e NFR. A dispersão gráfica 3D formou um grupo homogêneo e parcialmente disperso, permitindo detectar os genótipos EO-018 e EO-035 como os mais divergentes. Concluiu-se que há variabilidade para discriminar todas as matrizes, com 83,84% da variância fenotípica total, sendo 14 caracteres utilizados para este objetivo. Os critérios de descarte indicaram que se podem utilizar apenas os caracteres NEP, AE, CAP, CEN, NF, DLF, PS, PP, PC, RFC, NRC, CC, CIC e NCP para discriminar as matrizes, com perda mínima de informação. Pela análise gráfica 3D, observam-se matrizes divergentes, importantes para aumentar a variabilidade genética da coleção e o desenvolvimento de genótipos superiores.

ResumoO açaizeiro (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) é uma palmácea nativa do Estuário Amazônico. A divulgação de suas propriedades nutracêuticas, sua entrada nos mercados nacional e internacional e o consequente aumento de sua área plantada na Amazônia, fazem com que haja necessidade de estudar seu cultivo racional, já que o extrativismo e o manejo de açaizais nativos apresentam produção limitada. O objetivo foi realizar uma estimativa preliminar da variabilidade e parâmetros genéticos e avaliar a divergência fenotípica de matrizes de açaizeiro. Tomaram-se dados de 129 matrizes de açaizeiro do Nordeste Paraense. Estimouse, com base em 22 caracteres morfoagronômicos relacionados ao desenvolvimento e produção da planta, a ANOVA e parâmetros genéticos. A divergência foi estimada pela distância euclidiana média padronizada com os métodos de agrupamento UPGMA e de Tocher. A ANOVA apresentou 77,3% dos caracteres com variância significativa (p≤0,01 e p≤0,05); a razão CVg/CVe indicou que 72,3% dos caracteres podem apresentar variabilidade genética para utilização em programas de melhoramento. A distância euclidiana detectou como menos divergentes as matrizes EO-070 e EO-072, ambas da Ilha do Combu e as mais divergentes foram EO-010 (Belém) e EO-018 (Salinópolis). Os métodos de agrupamento formaram dez (Tocher) e nove (UPGMA) grupos, praticamente semelhantes. Pelo método de Tocher as matrizes mais dissimilares foram EO-035 (Capitão Poço), EO-109 (Ilha do Combu), EO-019 (Salinópolis) e EO-010 (Belém); e pelo método UPGMA EO-010 (Belém), EO-011 (São João de Pirabas), EO-017, EO-018 e EO-019 (Salinópolis); EO-062 e EO-109 (Ilha do Combu). Concluiu-se que as 129 matrizes apresentam elevada variabilidade fenotípica. Os parâmetros genéticos indicaram que há possibilidade de utilização dessa variabilidade em programas de melhoramento genético. Há matrizes divergentes para utilização como genitores na obtenção de genótipos superiores. Palavras-chave: Euterpe oleracea Mart., características morfológicas, variabilidade genética, divergência genética AbstractThe açai palm tree (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) is native to the Amazonian estuary. Media revelation of the nutraceutical properties of açai palm has resulted in its introduction in the national and international markets, consequently increasing the açai palm crop area in the Amazon. Nevertheless, açai palm cultivation is performed in a rational manner, because of limited product extraction from the native açai palm varieties. The study aimed to conduct a preliminary estimate of genetic variability, parameters,

Genetic similarity of natural populations of pimenta-demacaco (Piper aduncum L.) obtained throug RAPD analysisThe species known as pimenta-de-macaco (Piper aduncum L.) has great economic explotation potential based on the proved usefulness of the essential oil in agriculture and human health. The genetic diversity of their natural populations was characterized. A total of eighteen accessions of the plant, obtained from four different origins in the Brazilian Amazon, was examined by means of DNA loci, generated by RAPD analysis. Real genetic diversity was observed between the analyzed populations and it appear that the patterns of the genetic diversity follow the patterns of the geographical distribution.

Spiked pepper presents a high yield of essential oil with useful biological properties for human health and agriculture. In order to evaluate the morphoagronomic variability and, afterwards, to select genotypes for plant breeding and cultivation, thirteen clones were propagated. Thus, spiked pepper cuttings were rooted under greenhouse, transferred to a nursery and, afterwards, planted at the experimental area. The evaluations were carried out in two harvest seasons. The evaluated morphoagronomic traits were number of leaves per branch, leaf length, leaf width, diameter of the oldest branch, plant height, number of orthotropic branches, number of plagiotropic branches, internode length, fresh and dry matter, yield of essential oil and dillapiole content. The analysis of variance and the Scott-Knott test were utilized for data analysis and comparisons among clones and parentals were carried out through genetic and experimental variation coefficients. Fresh matter (first season), number of orthotropic branches and diameter of the the oldest branch (second season) presented variability. The Scott-Knott test detected variability for fresh matter, dillapiole content (first season), diameter of the oldest branch and number of orthotropic branches (second season). The yield of essential oil and the dillapiole content were higher for the clones than for the parentals. In conclusion, the clones showed adaptability to the soil and climate conditions of Belém, Pará State, Brazil; the harvest time influenced the oil yield and the dillapiole content; the variance analysis evidenced uniformity and productivity for the evaluated clones, suggesting they can be recommended for cultivation on small-scale production systems in this location.

Spiked pepper (Piper aduncum L.) is an aromatic plant species with high essential oil production. It is a species that occurs abundantly in the Brazilian Amazon. Its essential oil has exploitable biological properties in the human health and agriculture. Aiming to study its germplasm toward future use in genetic breeding programs, collecting was carried out (inflorescences, cuttings, leaves and thin branches) in ten provenances from the Brazilian Amazon. Twelve morphoagronomic traits were determined to take the data: number of leaves by branch, length of leaf, width of the leaf, circumference of the older branch, height of the plant, number of orthotropic branches, number of plageotropic branches, length of the internodes, number of spikes per branches, yielding of oil, content and production of dillapiole, as well as data on the environment and populations of spiked pepper. The inflorescences and cuttings were encoded and sent for the Federal Rural University from Pará State (UFRA), Brazil, for propagation. The leaves and thin branches were sent for the Emílio Goeldi Museum, from Pará State (MPEG) for extraction of essential oil (hydrodistillation). Estimators of amplitude of variation, mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation were utilized to study the phenotypical variability. The morphoagronomic traits of largest variability were number of orthotropic branches, number of spikes per branch, circumference of the older branch and the content and production of dillapiole. This species has adapted to many different environments of vegetation, soil, climate, relief and drainage becomming easy the domestication and cropping. There is morphoagronomic variability pleasing the selection and genetic breeding.

Spiked pepper is a plant species with properties that allow the development of natural agrochemicals and medicines, showing large potential of use by humanity. With aim to ascertain the phenotypical variability, 41 parentals were analyzed, sampled in the States of Pará and Amazonas. Principal Component analysis and Jolliffe's criterion were utilized for discarding of variables, subsidized by the Pearson's Correlation. It took seven components to explain 80% of the variation. The essential oil yield and number of leaves per branch were suggested to be discarded because they are the characteristics that have contributed least to the total variance. The 3D scatter diagram constituted a relatively homogeneous and continuous clustering, identifing a divergent pair: PA-020 (Marabá-PA) and PA-035 (Santa Isabel-PA). The analyzed traits have variability potentially able to discriminate the parentals, whereas 83.3% of such traits can be used for this purpose. The divergent genotypes identified on 3D scatter diagram analysis can be used in breeding programs for the development of superior genotypes. A comparison with preexisting molecular data of some genotypes permited to conclude that there was one certain agreement degree between morphological and molecular characterizations and that molecular characterization presented higher discriminatory power, using a smaller number of genotypes, identifying dissimilar genotypes and clusters, although analyzed by different multivariate statistic methods.