Genetic divergence of native jaboticaba fruit tree (Plinia cauliflora) based on fruit quality

Abstract

Jaboticaba is a fruit specie widely known in Brazil, with wide commercial acceptance, however it is observed genetic erosion by anthropic action in their habitat. Thus, the objective of this study was to estimate the genetic divergence between native jaboticaba trees, based on physico-chemical characters, as a complementary tool to identify superior genotypes for selection as future cultivar or male parent. To this end, 15 variables were analyzed, linked to physical-chemical and biochemical characteristics of fruits that were harvested in two productive cycles. As a pre-selection, it was adopted the choose of 20% better genotypes that showed the highest frequency of superiority in evaluated characteristics and through genetic divergence select potential parents with their respective subsidiaries hybridizations. The characteristic that has contributed most to the genetic divergence was the equatorial diameter, explaining much of the total variation, thus being the most important component. There were differences among the populations grouped by Tocher method with those obtained with the dendrogram the nearest neighbor clustering method in relation to jaboticabeira plant groups. There was genetic variability among the analyzed jabuticabeira trees, and thus, it is recommended performing hybridization between genotypes 79 with 119 and 96 with 148.