Vegetables with high carotenoids content can help to prevent many diseases. Lettuce is one of the most consumed vegetables all over the world that present potential for biofortification investment. However, there are few genotypes of lettuce biofortificated on the market and for direct use in plant breeding. Evaluate new lettuce genotypes that are rich in carotenoids are essential in order to know the commercial potential and their usefulness as possible parents in breeding programs. Therefore, the experiment aimed to evaluate the agronomic potential and genetic dissimilarity between lettuce genotypes with different levels of carotenoids. It was conducted in a randomized block design, with 83 treatments and two replications. During the course of the trial, were evaluated quantitative characters: leaf chlorophyll content (a, b and total), canopy diameter and number of leaves; and qualitative characters: size, color and shape of the leaves. The genetic diversity was obtained by multivariate analyzes using the sum of quantitative and qualitative data and, after that, using different grouping methods (UPGMA and Tocher). The genotypes showed genetic dissimilarity and agronomic potential for different lettuce segments and high carotenoids content. Among the evaluated characters, total chlorophyll content represented the main contribution for genetic variability. There was no coherence between the hierarchical method of UPGMA and the optimization method of Tocher when used for determinate the genetic diversity between lettuce genotypes with different levels of carotenoids.

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The adaptation of carrot cultivars to the environment is a fundamental factor for the cultivation. This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic potential of carrot genotypes cultivated in two periods by the hierarchical and optimization methods. The experiments were set as completely randomized block design. The treatments consisted of four experimental hybrids (Hybrid 8, 12, 14 and 17), three open-pollinated cultivars (Brasilia, BRS Planalto and Suprema), and a commercial hybrid (Verano), carried out at two cropping seasons. The unweighted pair-group using arithmetic averages (UPGMA), Tocher, and graphics of dispersion methods were applied. The UPGMA method and the graphic of dispersion enabled better separation of the genotypes evaluated in the growing seasons. The genotypes hybrid 12, cultivars Suprema and Verano presented a similar performance in both growing seasons. The cultivar Alvorada presented the greatest carrot yield (26.6 t ha-1) and leaf fresh mass (1538.6 g plant-1) in the spring-summer season, while hybrid 27 presents great potential for a great production (37.6 t ha-1) of carrots in the autumn season

Tomatoes are an important crop in Brazil. In advanced stages of breeding programs, the capacity to select or reject tomato lines becomes complex. We selected tomato lines comparing different selection strategies. We evaluated 115 advanced tomato lines from the Tomato Germplasm bank of the Federal University of Uberlândia. The following characteristics were evaluated: total chlorophyll content, foliar temperature, number of fruits, yield, distance between the first cluster and the soil, transverse and longitudinal fruit diameter, internode length and total soluble solids. Data was submitted to variance analysis, Scott-Knott's test of means, and selection gains estimates: direct and indirect selection, the classic Smith and Hazel index (SH), the Williams' base index (W), the genotype-ideotype distance index (GID) and the Mulamba and Mock's sum of ranks (MM). According to the Scott-Knott's test, the lines clustered in two groups for the variables number of fruits, yield, and distance between the first cluster and the soil. There was no consistency between the different selection indexes. Selecting 9% of the lines, total selection gains estimate for selection indexes were 12.57 (SH), and 38.57% (MM). With genetic gains more equally ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 19 (1): gmr18462 R.R. Finzi et al. 2distributed among the characters, the MM index is suggested as the most appropriate for advanced stages of tomato breeding programs.

Removal of lettuce basal leaves is a technique used by the seed industry; however, the effects on seed production and physiological potential are unknown. Genetic dissimilarity is fundamental in the identification of individuals in terms of traits of interest, although it is rarely considered in relation to seeds that are tolerant to thermoinhibition. The aim of this study was to ascertain the relationship between defoliation of lettuce plants and seed yield/physiological quality, as well as the genetic dissimilarity among genotypes with regard to seed thermoinhibition. We used 35 lines of biofortified lettuce, the cultivars Uberlândia 10000, Belíssima, UFU MC BIOFORT1, and Everglades (tolerant to thermoinhibition), and Grand Rapids and Verônica (susceptible to thermoinhibition). The seed yield and physiological quality of the genotypes with and without defoliation were evaluated, artificially aged, and germinated at four temperatures in a factorial arrangement. The genetic dissimilarity was estimated by Tocher graphing and the UPGMA clustering method, based on the Mahalanobis generalized distance (D 2 ii). Four UFU genotypes and Grand Rapids had high seed yields. With removal of basal leaves, there was higher seed yield per plant and there was an effect on their physiological quality. The genotypes exhibited genetic variability for thermoinhibition, with UFU-86#2#1#1 and Everglades showing similar performance.

The expansion of the Brazilian wine border, combined with the development of new cultivars adapted to different regions, highlight the need for more information on irrigation handling for new cultivars in protected cultivation. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate grapevine cultivars submitted to different percentages of water replacement in the soil in conditions of the Southern region of Minas Gerais with the use of irrigation. The experiment was installed and developed from 2014 to 2016. The experimental design used was random blocks, with five replicates and the treatments were disposed in subdivided plots, with three replacement percentages (30, 50 and 100 % of necessary water replacement for this type of soil) and in the subplots four grapevine cultivars belonging to Vitis labrusca L species. (‘Isabel’, ‘Isabel Precoce’, ‘BRS-Cora’ and ‘BRS-Violeta’). The research concluded that these cultivars increased 75 % the bunch length, 71 % of the bunch weight, 39 % the production of bunch of grapes, 52 % the pH, 84 % the soluble solid content and 60 % the reduction of total acidity content, 60 % to 100 % of water replacement. ‘Isabel precoce’ cultivar in water deficit conditions obtained the best productive results.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of genetic composition and arrangement between female and male parents on tolerance to delayed drying of maize seeds, evaluating the physiological quality and enzyme expression. Ears were harvested close to the stage of physiological maturity (around 35% moisture) and the genotypes were identified as line 1 (L1), line 2 (L2), the hybrid (HB - ♀L1 and ♂L2), and the reciprocal hybrid (HR - ♀L2 and ♂L1). For assessment of physiological quality, CDR (4x6x2) was used, consisting of four genotypes, six times of delay before artificial drying (10, 18, 24, 28, 32, and 40 hours), and two drying delay temperatures (42 and 48 °C). DIC (4x3) was used for enzymatic expression, consisting of four genotypes and three delay times before artificial drying (10, 24 and 40 hours) at 48 °C. Analysis of variance F (p < 0.05), Tukey’s test (p < 0.05), and analysis of polynomial regressions were performed on the data. Lineage arrangement affects seed tolerance to drying delay. Therefore, susceptible lines should not be used as female parents. The seeds of the line most susceptible (L2) to delay in drying exhibit less expression of α-amylase (α-AM).