Joaquim Nunes da Costa

In situ and genetic characterization of Gossypium barbadense populations from the states of Pará and Amapá, Brazil

The objective of this work was to characterize the populations of Gossypium barbadense in the states of Amapa and Para, Brazil. In situ characterization was conducted through interviews with the owners of the plants and environmental observations. Leaf or petal tissue as well as seed samples were collected for genetic characterization by single sequence repeats markers and for storage in germplasm banks, respectively. The plants were maintained in dooryards and used mainly for medical purposes. The genetic analysis showed no heterozygous plants at the loci tested ( f = 1), indicating that reproduction occurs mainly through selfi ng. The total genetic diversity was high (H e = 0.39); and a high level of differentiation was observed between cotton plants from the two states (F ST = 0.36). Conventional methods of in situ maintenance of G. barbadense populations are not applicable. The conservation of the genetic variability of populations present in the two states could be achieved through germplasm collection and establishing of ex situ seed banks. Index term: cotton, genetic diversity, germplasm, SSR markers.

Comportamento de progênies oriundas de raças primitivas de algodão herbáceo frente ao ataque do bicudo

The goal of the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis Boheman) resistance program of Embrapa-Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Algodao is to obtain cultivars that give 80% suppression when compared to commercial cultivars. The primitive cottons (Gossypium hirsutum L.) from Mexico and Central America have been known to show measurable levels of resistance to the boll weevil. In 1991 and 1992, the lines in BC1F5 and BC1F6 from Texas 277, Texas 326, Texas 1180, Texas 297, Texas 339, Texas 766 and Texas 1134 were evaluated to boll weevil resistance. The experiment was carried out at Campina Grande, PB, Brazil. The trial utilized was RCB with six replications. The plots were infested with newly emerged adults at the rate of 10,000 adults/ha. Six days after adults were released, the plots were sprayed with Cipermethrim. Infestation counts started three weeks after the Cipermethrim application and were made at weekly intervals. Five infestation counts were conducted by collecting 33 squares at random from each plot. The highest levels of resistance occurred in Texas 326-95-1, Texas 277-87-5, Texas 1180-99-2, Texas 297 and Texas 339 with 44.0, 41.2, 32.0, 40.4 and 36.4% of attack reduction, respectively, in relation to control CNPA 6H.