Resumo Este trabalho teve como objetivo estimar os coeficientes de repetibilidade da altura média de fruto (AF), diâmetro médio de fruto (DF), peso médio de fruto (PF), relação peso da polpa/peso do fruto (RPF), acidez titulável (AT), sólidos solúveis totais (SST) e vitamina C (VitC), e determinar o número de medidas que devem ser feitas para uma predição acurada do valor real dos indivíduos. Foram utilizados os métodos análise de variância, componentes principais e análise estrutural. As estimativas do coeficiente de repetibilidade das características A F, DF, PF, VitC e AT por ambos os métodos utilizados, demonstraram que coeficientes de determinação (R 2 ) acima de 90% são obtidos a partir de duas medições. Quanto à característica SST, são necessárias, em média, oito medições para alcançar um R 2 acima de 90%, e, quanto à característica RPF, no mínimo 26 medições para obter um R 2 superior a 90% o que demonstra não ser viável o aumento do número de medições para alcançar níveis de precisão superiores, e que é necessário buscar um método de determinação da característica que seja mais estável e preciso.Termos para indexação: Malpighia emarginata, propriedades físico-químicas, seleção, genética quantitativa. Repeatability of fruits traits of acerola treeAbstract The objective of this paper was to estimate the repeatability coefficient (RC) of the fruit traits such as height (FH), diameter (FD), weight (FW), C vitamin (VitC), total soluble solids (TSS), pulp weight/fruit weight relation (PFR) and the titrable acidity (TA), while the number of measures that should be performed for an efficient selection of the genotypes under evaluation were determined. Analysis were made using the ANOVA, principal components and structural analysis methodology. The estimates of the RC for FH, FD, FW, VitC and TA demonstrated high regularity at the superiority of the individuals from one cycle to another, so the evaluation of two cycles was enough to predict the individuals real value with R 2 above 90%. To TSS, in average, eight evaluation cycles were necessary to reach a R 2 above 90%. PFR showed to be highly irregular, so the evaluation of at least 26 cycles turned to be necessary in order to reach a R 2 above 90%. Such an irregularity was attributed to the method used in analyzing the characteristic, then the search for a more accurate and stable method was necessary.

A hibridação interespecífica entre o caiaué (Elaeis oleífera (Kunth) Cortés) e o dendezeiro (E. guineensis Jacq.) tem sido explorada com o objetivo de desenvolver cultivares tão produtivas quanto as de dendezeiro, aliada à resistência a pragas e doenças, principalmente o amarelecimento fatal, elevada taxa de ácidos graxos insaturados e redução de porte características do caiaué. Por ser uma cultura perene com longo ciclo de produção, além dos altos custos para manutenção e avaliação dos experimentos de melhoramento genético, é necessário definir o período mínimo de avaliação para que a seleção dos híbridos seja realizada com eficiência e mínimo dispêndio de tempo e recursos. Este estudo teve como objetivo estimar os coeficientes de repetibilidade dos caracteres número de cachos, peso total de cachos e peso médio de cachos de híbridos interespecíficos e definir o número de anos consecutivos de avaliação necessário para seleção eficiente dos melhores cruzamentos e indivíduos. Os coeficientes de repetibilidade foram estimados pelos métodos da análise de variância, componentes principais com base na matriz de covariância (CPCV) e de correlações, e análise estrutural com base na matriz de correlações. O método dos CPCV demonstrou ser o mais adequado para o estudo da repetibilidade da produção de cachos, indicando quatro anos consecutivos de avaliação para selecionar progênies, representadas por dez plantas, com coeficientes de determinação (R 2 ) superiores a 85%, e que para seleção individual de plantas são necessários pelo menos seis anos consecutivos de avaliação para atingir R 2 superior a 80%. PalavRaS-chavE: Elaeis guineensis, Elaeis oleifera, hibridação, melhoramento genético. Repeatability for bunch production in interspecific hybrids between caiaué and african oil palm aBSTRacTInterspecific hybridization between the caiaué (Elaeis oleífera (Kunth) Cortés) and the african oil palm (E. guineensis Jacq.) has been exploited with the objective of developing varieties as productive as African oil palm and with the pest and disease resistance, reduced height and high levels of insaturated oils characteristic of the caiaué. Perennial crops with long production cycles and high costs for maintenance and evaluation of improvement experiments require definition of minimum evaluation periods for efficient and low cost selection of hybrids. This study estimated the repeatability coefficients of the characters bunch number, total weight of bunches and average bunch weight of interspecific hybrids and determined the number of consecutive years of evaluation required for efficient selection of the best crosses and individuals. The repeatability coefficients were estimated by four methods: analysis of variance, principal components based on the covariance (CPCV) and correlation matrix, and structural analysis based on the correlation matrix. The CPCV method was the most appropriate for the study of the repeatability of bunch production. Four consecutive years of evaluation are required to select progenies, represented by ten ...

-The genetic diversity of 38 accessions of the genus Capsicum from the upper Rio Negro in the Amazon region was characterized by 51 morphologic descriptors. The similarity of the accessions was calculated based on 17 essential descriptors and on the general similarity coefficient of Gower. Grouping analyses and a dispersion diagram of the accessions were established based on the similarity coefficients using, respectively, the UPGMA method and the principal coordinate analysis (PCO) as criterion of grouping and dispersion. A great variation of classes were identified in the fruit traits: nine colors, four shapes and a great range of variation in

The cultivated passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) is a cross-pollinated species native to South America. In the current study, a segregating F1 population derived from a single cross between the clones IAPAR-06 and IAPAR-123 was used to construct AFLP-based linkage maps and to map resistance genes to bacterial spot caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. passiflorae. Linkage analysis was performed by the 2-way pseudo-testcross mapping method using markers that segregated in a 1:1 ratio. The IAPAR-06 linkage map was constructed using 115 markers, 112 of which were allocated to 9 linkage groups (LG) covering 790.2 cM. The map of IAPAR-123 was constructed using 140 markers, 138 of which were allocated to 9 LG covering 488.9 cM. In both maps, clusters of markers were detected, indicating that the AFLP markers were not distributed at random. Bacterial resistance was assessed by measuring the diseased leaf area after wound-inoculating the leaves of F1 plants. Quantitative resistance loci (QRLs) mapping was carried out by composite interval mapping and 1 QRL was detected, which explained 15.8% of the total phenotypic variation. The possibility of considering these data for marker-assisted selection in passion fruit breeding programs is discussed.

-

Analytical studies of sponges have recently become a matter of interest, since these organisms have been reported to accumulate high levels of some elements, including heavy metals, which may have an anthropogenic origin, allowing their application as environmental pollution indicators. In the present work, 35 sponges collected in August 1998 at the Berlengas Natural Park were classified and analysed by secondary target energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF). Some major, minor and trace elements could be determined: Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Zr, I and Pb. To assess some local influences on the sponge composition, two sediment samples were also taken from the area and analysed. Besides these elements, sponges are constituted by fairly high percentages of elements that do not emit characteristic x-ray lines. Therefore, absorption corrections for quantitative calculations were carried out taking into account the ratio between the inelastic and elastic scattered incident radiation from a silver secondary target to calculate the mean atomic number of the light matrix. Calibration was performed using chemical compounds and standard reference materials. Precision, accuracy and detection limits for the range of elements determined by the method are particularly suitable for the chemical analysis of these organisms. Results for the sediment chemical composition indicated the existence of high Ca and low Si levels and confirmed the absence of any trace metal contamination in the region. The sponge composition showed low Si contents, even in siliceous specimens. Certain high elemental contents determined in some species indicated a clear selective bioaccumulation of particular trace elements, such as Ni, Zn and As, which is not dependent on local influences.

-This study evaluated the compatibility of crosses between C. chinense and C. annuum and the seed vigor and germination of interspecific hybrids. Twenty-one accessions of C. chinense, used as male parents, were crossed with the cultivar Cascadura Ikeda (C. annuum) as female parent in a completely randomized design (CRD), with three replications. Fruit setting was evaluated in 30 flowers per plot. Seed germination and hybrid vigor were analyzed using CRD with four replications and plots of 16 seeds. All interspecific crosses produced fruit, at fruit set rates between 8.9% and 40.0%. In a first count, germination ranged from 0.0% to 45.3% and in the second from 0.0% to 87.5%. The conclusion was drawn that it is possible to obtain fruit and viable seeds in interspecific crosses of C. chinense with C. annuum.

Euterpe precatoria is a palm tree belonging to the Arecaceae family, occurring in Western and Central Brazilian Amazonia. Its fruit, which is very appreciated in the Amazon region, produces pulp that is consumed in fresh form. Its production is carried out almost exclusively by extractive farmers. In order to establish adequate strategies to sustain this genetic resource, we need knowledge about the diversity and genetic structure in natural populations. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of geographic distance on genetic structure in the main extractive populations of E. precatoria in the Brazilian Amazon. Leaves from 377 plants were collected in 19 populations located in 16 municipalities in the State of Amazonas and three in the State of Rondônia. Twelve microsatellite loci were used to genotype the plants. The diversity and genetic structure among populations were estimated. The average number of alleles per locus was 5.97. The observed heterozygosity means (HO) were higher than expected (HE) at the population level (HO = 0.72, HE = 0.66) and fixation index (f = -0.100) was negative. The FST value (0.1820) and the AMOVA results (Φ = 0.1796) showed population structure. The populations were clustered into three groups (K = 3) in the Bayesian analysis. The Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components (DAPC) confirmed eight clusters, with the populations close to those identified by the Bayesian analysis. The geographic differentiation was confirmed by the groupings obtained in the Structure analysis and the DACP function. Information related to phenotypic, genetic and environmental characterization of populations is important to guide conservation and management strategies and the formulation of public species management policies in Amazonia.