Variability of F2 Progenies of Castor Bean by Means of Morphoagronomic Descriptors

Abstract

Morphoagronomic characterization is a basic requirement to identify a phenotypic profile of a population. The quantification of variability allows efficient selection of superior and divergent genotypes. Thus, this study aimed to estimate the variability among 490 genotypes and seven strains, from an F2 population of Ricinus communis L., in 35 morphoagronomic traits and 12 agronomic traits. For qualitative descriptors, the entropy technique was used in the percentage frequencies of each category, computing its level using the coefficient of Rényi (1961). Quantitative descriptors were subjected to analysis of variance by the F test, and Tukey test was performed at 1% probability level. Of the morphoagronomic traits used, 13 were related to plants, nine were related to inflorescence, six were related to fruits and seven were linked to seeds, in addition to 12 agronomic traits. The material was arranged in the field with families (strains of five families) interspersed with their respective parents (controls). Stem color, shape and number of racemes collected, main color, type of secondary color and hundred-seed weight have high variability in the population, with formation of 68 groups as a function of genetic similarity. The possibility of selection as to the number of racemes harvested is clear, so it is possible to identify genotypes with higher number, aiming to enhance crop yield.