Parâmetros genéticos de caracteres relacionados à tolerância à deficiência hídrica em milho tropical Genetic parameters of drought tolerance related traits in tropical maize

A seleção de caracteres relacionados à tolerância à deficiência hídrica em milho tem sido objeto de interesse em programas de melhoramento, principalmente em virtude da ineficiência da seleção para produzir grãos nessas condições. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar parâmetros genéticos em duas populações de milho tropical. Foram avaliadas duas populações (denominadas D e U) com 256 progênies F2:3, no delineamento em látice 16 x 16 em sete ou nove ambientes e densidade populacional de 62.500 plantas ha-1. Diferenças significativas foram constatadas entre progênies (P), ambientes (A) e para a interação P x A em ambas as populações. Os coeficientes de herdabilidade em nível de médias de progênies variaram entre 73,52% para prolificidade na população D e 95,88% para florescimento feminino (FF) na população U. No caráter produção de grãos (PG) houve correlação genética significativa nas populações U e D, respectivamente, com prolificidade (0,79 e 0,88) e florescimento feminino (-0,76 e -0,44); na população U com florescimento masculino (-0,74) e; na população D com stay-green (-0,50). Não foi constatada correlação genética significativa entre PG e intervalo entre florescimentos (IF). Os parâmetros genéticos estimados sugerem que a utilização de índices de seleção que incluam, além de PG, caracteres como prolificidade, FF e SG na seleção de progênies sob condições normais de umidade, poderia propiciar o desenvolvimento de material com alta produtividade e boa tolerância a estresses hídricos.<br>The selection of drought tolerance related traits in maize has been object of interest in improvement programs, mainly in function of the selection inefficiency for grain yield on these conditions. The objective of this work was to estimate genetic parameters in two populations of tropical maize. Two populations (called D and U) with 256 F2:3 progenies had been evaluated in a 16x16 simple lattice, in seven and nine environments with population density of 62,500 plants ha-1. Significant differences were observed among line (P), environments (A) and for the P x A interaction in both populations. The heritability coefficients at progenies level average had varied between 73.52% for prolificacy in population D and 95.88% for female flowering (FF) in population U. Grain yield (PG) presented significant genetic correlation in populations U and D, respectively, with prolificacy (0,79 and 0.88) and female flowering (-0,76 and -0,44); in population U with male flowering (-0.74) and; in population D with stay-green (-0.50). No genetic correlation was observed between PG and anthesis-silking interval (IF). Estimated of genetic parameters suggest that the use of selection indices that include, besides PG, characters as prolificacy, FF and SG in the selection process under conditions of normal water supply, could lead to the development of cultivars with high grain yield and good drought tolerance

Genetic diversity assessment in sorghum accessions using qualitative morphological and amplified fragment length polymorphism markers

Qualitative morphological and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were compared for assessment of genetic diversity. Nine qualitative morphological traits were recorded to compare genetic relationships among 17 sorghum accessions with information derived from six AFLP primer combinations analysis. The mean morphological genetic similarity was lower in comparison to similarity computed using AFLP markers. Genetic similarity measured by AFLP markers was similar within the Ethiopian and South African material, as well as between South African and Ethiopian material. Morphological similarity was much higher in the Ethiopian material than in the South African material, indicating that the genotypes were related. The two techniques described genetic variability in different ways. Dendrogram generated from the morphological data matrix separated accession 216737 as being genetically distinct from the rest of the accessions. Accessions M101 and 97MW6127 were the most dissimilar accessions based on AFLP data