Morphological characterization and selection of castor bean accessions for mechanized production1

Abstract

Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) is an oilseed found in different regions worldwide, due to its easy propagation and adaptability. Cropping more productive disease-resistant genotypes that enable a mechanized production ensures greater economic returns for farmers. This study aimed to morphologically characterize and select promising castor bean accessions for mechanized cropping, mainly as a source of genetic variability for breeding programs with this purpose. Fifty accessions were assessed. Analysis of variance, dissimilarity clustering via the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) and principal component analysis were used to analyze the collected data. The dissimilarity analysis based on the Gower distance for qualitative and quantitative variables revealed three groups of accessions and the principal component analysis enabled the selection of those with desirable traits. The accessions BOC1, PRAT1 and SM2 exhibited morpho-agronomic characteristics of interest to the mechanized production, such as ideal plant height, diameter, seed weight and oil content. Such genotypes show a potential for use as genitors in genetic breeding programs of castor bean.

Genetic divergence and physiological quality of dwarf castor bean lines seeds

“…The development of several inflorescences and racemes affect the distribution of carbohydrates throughout the organs of castor bean plants, what may affect the accumulation of mass and oil content in the grains (Severino & Auld 2013). The oil content of castor bean is one of the most desirable characteristics in parents, as the higher the content, the greater the profitability of the farmer, as it is the main product generated from the cultivation of castor bean, favoring the formation of hybrids with high grain and oil yield (Oliveira Neto et al 2019).…”

“…Brazil is one of the largest castor bean producers, occupying the third position (Savy Filho et al 2007), and the Brazilian Savanna shows potential for expanding cultivation areas using a mechanized system (Oliveira Neto et al 2019).…”

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grow in various environmental conditions, including high temperature, drought, salinity and pest. The development of new materials which favor crop treatments and mechanized harvest, associated with a high grain yield with high physiological quality, is essential for the crop success.Castor bean breeding programs look for traits of agronomic interest in germplasm banks to incorporate them into new cultivars (Oliveira Neto et al 2019). Grain yield is the most studied one (Rios et al 2013.

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“…Castor bean breeding programs look for traits of agronomic interest in germplasm banks to incorporate them into new cultivars (Oliveira Neto et al 2019). Grain yield is the most studied one (Rios et al 2013.…”

Selectivity of Pre and Postemergence Herbicides in Single or Combined Applications in Castor Crop

“…Castor oil is widely used in the industry for containing ricinoleic acid and unique properties in its fatty acids, being a valuable input for the production of lubricants, paints, plastics, drugs, and cosmetics [1,2]. However, the growth in world consumption has been limited by low agricultural production capacity, with great potential for expanding the cultivated area and increasing productivity [3,4].…”