INDIRECT AND EXPEDITE ASSESSMENT OF Ilex paraguariensis COMMERCIAL YIELD

Abstract

Commercial biomass production is one of the main indicators for selecting erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis) progenies and clones. Traditional techniques to obtain such information depend on the harvesting of trees and there are some limitations involved, such as high cost and reduced convenience. Thus, in our research we evaluated the efficiency of indirect methods through commercial biomass estimation and score of productivity according to the different provenances, gender and morphotypes. In a provenances and progenies trial installed in 1997, two methodologies of visual analysis were evaluated in August 2015 (two years after the last harvest). For that reason, five expert evaluators determined, for each plant, an estimate of the commercial biomass (kg), and a grade, based on a score of productivity (0-10). In order to assess the productivity using traditional techniques, all plants were pruned and their commercial biomass (leaves and fine branches smaller than 7 mm diameter) were harvested and weighed (kg . plant -1 ). The evaluations were performed in a randomized-block experiment with five repetitions, seven different provenances and 126 progenies, totaling 5,292 evaluated plants. The methods utilized were effective to estimate the commercial biomass. The evaluators showed accuracy, expressing efficiently the largest productivity obtained when comparing the means of provenances, plants gender and morphotypes. The highest correlations were observed in the general analysis of the means, and the estimation of commercial biomass was considered the best methodology for estimating the commercial biomass assessed in adult erva-mate plants. METODOLOGIA PARA AVALIAÇÃO EXPEDITA E INDIRETA DA PRODUTIVIDADE COMERCIAL DE ERVA-MATERESUMO: A produção de biomassa comercial é uns dos principais indicadores para seleção de progênies e clones de erva-mate. Técnicas tradicionais para se obter tais informações dependem da colheita das árvores e apresentam, dentre outras limitações, elevado custo e reduzida praticidade. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar a eficiência de métodos indiretos, por meio de estimativa de biomassa comercial e escore de produtividade em função de diferentes procedências, sexo e morfotipos. Em um teste de progênies e procedências instalado em 1997, foram avaliadas em agosto de 2015 (dois anos após a última colheita) duas metodologias de análise visual. Para tanto, participaram cinco avaliadores treinados que determinaram, para cada planta, uma estimativa de biomassa comercial (kg), e uma nota, com base em um escore de produtividade (0-10). Para avaliação da produtividade pelas técnicas tradicionais, todas as plantas foram podadas e tiveram sua biomassa comercial (folhas e ramos finos menores de 7 mm de diâmetro) colhida e avaliada por meio de pesagem (Kg . planta -1 ). As avaliações foram realizadas em experimento instalado em blocos ao acaso, com cinco repetições, sete procedências e 126 progênies, totalizando 5292 plantas avaliadas. Os métodos avaliados foram eficientes na estimativa da biomassa comerc...

Early selection and classification of yerba mate progênies

“…Selecting yerba mate trees, based on the leaf mass production, is extremely laborious (Sturion & Resende, 2010;Santin et al, 2015;Wendling et al, 2016). This activity includes pruning, removal of parts of leaves and branches, and quantification of the leaf mass of each tree.…”

Genetic improvement of Ilex paraguariensis in western Santa Catarina State: estimate of phenotypic and genetic parameters

“…At two years old (July/2018), the height (m) and crown diameter (m) were measured with a graduated ruler. At three years old (July/2019), the individual commercial biomass of all plants was evaluated through indirect or visual estimates, indicating an estimated value of commercial productivity (commercial biomass in kg) for each plant, which was evaluated from the experience and previous training of an evaluator according to the methodology proposed by Wendling et al (2016).…”

“…In order to rank the best trees, such selection must be accurate and executed when a tree is close to its exploitation age. However, selecting yerba mate trees based on leaf weight is extremely laborious, especially from the fourth year onwards, as it involves pruning each tree, removing leaves and thinning branches (up to 7 mm), and then weighing them (Wendling et al, 2016, Research, Society and Development, v. 11, n. 3, e1711326084, 2022(CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i3.26084 3 2018. Indirect methods to evaluate yerba mate plant production can be interesting alternatives for the genetic improvement of the species, mainly because they can reduce evaluation time and, consequently, reduce expenses related to the activity (Sturion et al, 2017).…”

Secondary sexual dimorphism in biomass production of Ilex paraguariensis progenies associated with their provenances and morphotypes

“…The pruned leaves and fine twigs are used for beverage preparations. A great variety of yerba-mate forms are observed, from plant architecture (Rakocevic et al, , 2012 to different leaf shapes and colors (Rakocevic et al, 2012), defining six morphotypes (Duarte et al, 2022;Reissmann et al, 2003;Wendling et al, 2016). Yerba-mate morphotypes are defined from the leaf traits, as yellow, gray, sassafras, dark green, dully green, and furry.…”