Genotypic selection of multispecific hybrids obtained through crosses between commercial Passiflora edulis and wild passiflora species

Abstract

The interspecific introgression of resistance genes to diseases in commercial varieties through interspecific crosses has been adopted as a strategy in breeding programs of sour passion fruit. This work aimed to evaluate 11 progenies of multispecific hybrids obtained from crosses involving seven Passiflora species, in addition to four commercial cultivars, using the REML/BLUP method. The experiment was carried out as a randomized block design with six repetitions and three plants per plot. Ten fruit traits were evaluated. The additive, multiplicative, and sum of ranks indexes were applied to determine the most appropriate selective strategy in the simultaneous increase of fruit weight, number of fruits, and yield. Plants from the 325 x VAO progeny showed a lower bacterial defoliation index and better means predicted for the traits number of fruits and productivity. The progenies 325 x LD4, PL3 x LD4, and the controls CSB-Marília and BRS-Gigante Amarelo showed plants with better-predicted means for traits related to fruit quality. The genetic gains demonstrated good prospects for the use of wild species in sour passion fruit genetic breeding.