Carlos Nick

Molecular Characterization and Population Structure of the Macaw Palm, Acrocomia aculeata (Arecaceae), Ex Situ Germplasm Collection Using Microsatellites Markers

The Acrocomia aculeata is one of the most promising plants for sustainable production of renewable energy. In order to understand patterns of the distribution of the allelic diversity of A. aculeata ex situ germplasm collection, the present study investigated the hypothesis that the genetic variability of the accessions may match their geographical origin. A genotypic analysis of 77 A. aculeata accessions was conducted with 6 simple sequence repeat markers. A high degree of molecular diversity among the accessions was found, with an average of 9 alleles per locus and a polymorphic information content with a mean of 0.76. A total of 4 clusters was identified by the Bayesian analysis of population structure. The highest subpopulation diversity was identified in Pop1, mainly formed by accessions from State of Mato Grosso do Sul. The populations Pop2A, Pop2B, and Pop2C, all from the State of Minas Gerais, showed high genetic variability as determined by a higher F st, and a wide genetic variance, which were identified within and among the population by analysis of molecular variance. Based on our results and on Vavilovs theory on crop origins, one possible diversity center for A. aculeata is proposed to be in a region in southeast Brazil.

Divergência genética entre subamostras de mandioca

The objective of the present study was to estimate the genetic diversity among 75 F1 clones, 19 landraces and six commercial cultivars and to suggest on the basis of dissimilarity and the agronomic performance the accessions potential by use full as cultivars or for breeding programs. In addition this study aimed at to estimate the relative contribution of phenotypic traits for the diversity. The accessions were evaluated using seven quantitative traits related to shoot and roots production in experimental trial conducted in Lavras, Minas Gerais State. The design was a simple lattice 10x10, in which plots of 2.4 m2, and four useful plants. The genetic diversity was expressed by the generalized Mahalanobis distance, with subsequent grouping of the accessions by Tochers optimization procedure. The relative contribution of traits to the diversity based method of Singh (1981). There are genetic differences between the accessions studied. The accessions 60, 61, 66 and 67 are potentially useful to participate in phases in a breeding program. The yield of shoots biomass and roots number per plant were more important for accession discrimination.

Genetic divergence of tomato subsamples

Understanding the genetic variability of a species is crucial for the progress of a genetic breeding program and requires characterization and evaluation of germplasm. This study aimed to characterize and evaluate 101 tomato subsamples of the Salad group (fresh market) and two commercial controls, one of the Salad group (cv . Fanny) and another of the Santa Cruz group (cv. Santa Clara). Four experiments were conducted in a randomized block design with three replications and five plants per plot. The joint analysis of variance was performed and characteristics with significant complex interaction between control and experiment were excluded. Subsequently , the multicollinearity diagnostic test was carried out and characteristics that contributed to severe multicollinearity were excluded. The relative importance of each characteristics for genetic diver gence was calculated by the Singh’s method (Singh, 1981), and the less important ones were excluded according to Garcia (1998). Results showed large genetic divergence among the subsamples for morphological, agronomic and organoleptic characteristics, indicating potential for genetic improvement. The characteristics total soluble solids, mean number of good fruits per plant, endocarp thickness, mean mass of marketable fruit per plant, total acidity , mean number of unmarketable fruit per plant, internode diameter , internode length, main stem thickness and leaf width contributed little to the genetic divergence between the subsamples and may be excluded in future studies.

Seleção simultânea para qualidade do fruto e resistência à requeima em progênies de tomateiro

The objective of this work was to evaluate selection criteria in progenies from the crossing of tomato cultivar Santa Clara (Solanum lycopersicum) and the wild species S. habrochaites f. glabratum as to attributes of fruit quality and of resistance to late blight (Phytophthora infestans). The families were evaluated in a randomized block design, in two trials, with two replicates and six controls, common to both trials. Direct and indirect gains were estimated between F2:3 families for simultaneous selection regarding resistance to late blight, determined by the quantification of the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC), and regarding titratable acidity and soluble solid contents of fruit. The selection criteria provided satisfactory genetic gains, suitable for the proposed ideotype of decreases in the AUDPC and increases in the average values of soluble solids and titratable acidity. The direct and indirect selection and the Mulamba & Mock index result in more balanced individual gains and higher total gains.

Potencial de hibridação entre acessos de tomateiro para pré-melhoramento quanto à resistência à requeima

The objective of this work was to evaluate parents with hybridization potential for pre-breeding of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) for resistance to late blight. Six tomato accessions (BGH-2102, BGH-2117, BGH-2127, BGH-2130, BGH-2332, and BGH-2343) were used as resistant parents and 15 F1 hybrids originated from these parents. The design was a randomized complete block with three replicates. The plants were inoculated with a mixture of Phytophthora infestans sporangia, the etiological agent of late blight, at a concentration of 5x103 sporangia mL-1. The area under the disease progress curve was used to evaluate resistance. Diallelic analysis was performed, considering the effect of genotypes as fixed. The general and specific combining ability of the accessions was estimated. The resistance pattern of the parents and of most of the F1 was the same as that of the resistant controls. The following were observed: additive genetic variability among the parents, predominance of nonadditive gene effects, and bidirectional dominance deviations in the control of the trait. The frequency of favorable and divergent alleles for late blight resistance is higher in the BGH-2117, BGH-2127, and BGH-2343 accessions.

Response of tomato ( Solanum L. section Lycopersicon Mill.) germplasm to begomovirus inoculation under controlled and field conditions

Ninety-five tomato accessions belonging to the Vegetable Crops Germplasm Bank of the Federal University of Viçosa (BGH-UFV) were evaluated in a protected environment (biolistic inoculation under greenhouse conditions) and in the field (natural infection) for resistance to bipartite begomoviruses present in Brazil. Plants were assessed by the visual evaluation of symptoms, and viral infection was confirmed by non-radioactive molecular hybridization. Univariate statistical analyses and correlations were made between the traits. High and significant correlations were found between the percentages of visual symptoms and of viral replication, with values of 0.67 in the protected environment and 0.60 in the field. We concluded that under the protected environment, the accessions BGH-2144, BGH-2150, BGH-6878 and BGH-6881 displayed resistance to infection. Under field conditions with natural infection, the best results were obtained for the accessions BGH-2080 and BGH-6881. Only the BGH-6881 (Solanum peruvianum L.) accession excelled in both conditions; this resistance was attributed to the presence of the Ty-2 and Ty-3 resistance gene alleles in heterozygosity. In general, all of the accessions selected in both experimental conditions can serve as sources for the development of cultivars tolerant or resistant to the bipartite begomoviruses present in Brazil.

CARACTERIZAÇÃO DA RESISTÊNCIA DE SUBAMOSTRAS DE TOMATE DO BGH-UFV AO GEMINIVÍRUS TOMATO YELLOW SPOT VIRUS

The viruses transmitted by whiteflies are among those causing relevant losses in tomato cultivation. Among the measures to control these agents, introducing genes for resistance constitutes the main control measure, together with vector control. The objective of this work was to screen for sources of natural resistance to Tomato yellow spot virus (ToYSV) in S. lycopersicum germplasm from the Banco de Germoplasma de Hortalicas (BGH) of the Universidade Federal de Vicosa (UFV), Minas Gerais, Brazil. The 99 accessions and two susceptible controls were inoculated using biolistics. Inoculated plants were grown under greenhouse conditions. The percentage of plants displaying virus symptoms was evaluated at 10, 20 and 30 days after inoculation (DAI). Virus presence or absence in the inoculated plants was confirmed by hybridization with probes labeled with a-[32P]-dCTP, for each evaluation date. Inoculated plants produced typical disease symptoms showing different behavior on the genotypes in relation to ToYSV. Some of the evaluated genotypes showed higher virus tolerance compared to two susceptible controls, in particular the accessions BGH-2039V and BGH-2041 which showed no symptoms and no viral DNA accumulation in 80% of the inoculated plants at 30 DAI. The results suggest that the selected tomato accesses are good sources of resistance to new tomato cultivars tolerant to ToYSV.