Genetic divergence among white-type acai palm accessions based on morpho-agronomic characters

Abstract

-The objective of this work was to quantify the genetic divergence among accessions of white-type acai palm (Euterpe oleracea), through morpho-agronomic characters. The accessions belong to the active acai palm germplasm bank of Embrapa Amazônia Oriental. Thirteen characters were evaluated in 26 accessions, originated from six municipalities in the state of Pará, Brazil. The data were subjected to deviance and multivariate analyses, based on the average Euclidean distance, and were grouped by Tocher's method and the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA). The accessions differed for eight characters. The distances among accessions ranged from 0.64 to 2.62, with an average of 1.36, and four groups were formed by Tocher's method and two by the UPGMA. Seven major components explained 88.03% of the variation, whose graphic dispersion showed the tendency of forming four groups. The characters weight of 100 fruits, number of rachillae per bunch, and fruit yield per bunch contributed the most to the divergence, and the accessions from the municipalities of Breves, Curralinho, and Limoeiro do Ajuru were the most divergent. Therefore, the accessions of white acai palm show strong divergence and variability, which favor the selection of desirable individuals.

Genetic divergence of native palms of Oenocarpus distichus considering biometric fruit variables

“…distichus genotypes, for all fruit biometric characteristics, indicates that the germplasm of this plant can be collected in the region studied. Additionally, the selection, based on any of the eight features, provides genetic advantages to differentiate individuals within the same population, due to the cross between genetically different individuals causing greater heterotrophic effect 21 . The variability between the genotypes can be attributed to the data quantitative nature, polygenic, controlled by many genes 13,22 and is important in ex situ genetic conservation, due to increasing the effective population size and reducing the mortality caused by inbreeding 23 .…”

“…The efficiency of these biometric characteristics to distinguish genotypes from the family Arecaceae was confirmed with similar results for E . oleracea 11–21 . The CV g /CV e ratio (>1) and the high h² mp values, confirm the variability and the genetic control of fruit characteristics, allowing selecting and recombining the most promising O .…”

Spatial Variability in Leaf Analysis and Productivity of Fertirrigated Açaí

“…2020 In field evaluations with açaí, producers usually observe a high variability in plant performance and productivity within the same growing area. This factor may be related to the genetic variability of the açaí species of the Eastern Amazon (Sousa et al, 2017). Two existing registered cultivars (BRS-Pará and BRS Pai d'Égua) are barely accessible to producers.…”