Evaluating the impact of modeling the family effect for clonal selection in potato-breeding programs

Because of its wide distribution, high yield potential, and short cycle, the potato has become essential for global food security. However, the complexity of tetrasomic inheritance, the high level of heterozygosity of the parents, the low multiplication rate of tubers, and the genotype-by-environment interactions impose severe challenges on tetraploid potato–breeding programs. The initial stages of selection take place in experiments with low selection accuracy for many of the quantitative traits of interest, for example, tuber yield. The goal of this study was to investigate the contribution of incorporating a family effect in the estimation of the total genotypic effect and selection of clones in the initial stage of a potato-breeding program. The evaluation included single trials (STs) and multi-environment trials (METs). A total of 1,280 clones from 67 full-sib families from the potato-breeding program at Universidade Federal de Lavras were evaluated for the traits total tuber yield and specific gravity. These clones were distributed in six evaluated trials that varied according to the heat stress level: without heat stress, moderate heat stress, and high heat stress. To verify the importance of the family effect, models with and without the family effect were compared for the analysis of ST and MET data for both traits. The models that included the family effect were better adjusted in the ST and MET data analyses for both traits, except when the family effect was not significant. Furthermore, the inclusion of the family effect increased the selective efficiency of clones in both ST and MET analyses via an increase in the accuracy of the total genotypic value. These same models also allowed the prediction of clone effects more realistically, as the variance components associated with family and clone effects within a family were not confounded. Thus, clonal selection based on the total genotypic value, combining the effects of family and clones within a family, proved to be a good alternative for potato-breeding programs that can accommodate the logistic and data tracking required in the breeding program

Diversidade genética entre acessos de espécies cultivadas de pimentas Genetic diversity among accessions of cultivated peppers species

O conhecimento da diversidade genética entre acessos em bancos de germoplasma é importante para fins de conservação de recursos genéticos e uso em programas de melhoramento genético. Neste estudo, objetivou-se avaliar a divergência genética entre 23 acessos de pimentas do gênero Capsicum, a partir de sete descritores quantitativos e 19 qualitativos multicategóricos, com auxílio de técnicas multivariadas. Pela análise de variância, evidenciaram-se diferenças significativas entre os acessos de pimentas para todos os descritores quantitativos. Os coeficientes de variação (CV) do experimento variaram de 8,97 (LF) a 30,91% (NFA). O Método de agrupamento de otimização via Tocher detectou a formação de oito grupos, tanto para descritores quantitativos, quanto para os qualitativos multicategóricos. Pelo Método UPGMA, formaram-se três grupos baseando-se nos descritores quantitativos e quatro grupos com base nos qualitativos. Há diversidade genética inter e intraespecífica no Banco de Germoplasma de Capsicum spp. da Universidade Federal do Piauí, com evidências de que não existem duplicatas entre os acessos estudados.<br>The knowledge of the genetic diversity among the accessions in germplasm banks it is important for the conservation of genetic resources and the use in breeding programs. This study aimed to evaluate the genetic divergence of 23 accessions of the genus Capsicum, and was based in seven quantitative and nineteen qualitative multicategorical descriptors and using multivariate techniques. The analyses of variance revealed significant difference (P<0.05) among the accessions of peppers for all quantitative descriptors. The coefficient variation ranged from 8,97% (LF) to 30,91% (NFA). The Tocher optimization method detected eight clusters for quantitative descriptors and also in as well as qualitative multicategoric descriptors. The UPGMA method detected three clusters for quantitative descriptors and four clusters within qualitative multicategoricdescriptors. There is genetic diversity inter and intraspecific in germplasm bank of Capsicum coming from The Federal University of Piauí, and these results indicate that there are not duplicated accessions