Abstract: The major hindrance to guava fruit (Psidium guajava L.) growing is the
low availability of cultivars for use by Brazilian producers, who usually rely on
few options of genotypes to implement the crop. In the present study, 11 full-sib
families were evaluated in a randomized-block experimental design with three
replicates, in order to more efficiently select superior genotypes. Genetic parameters
were estimated and the best genotypes were selected based on genetic
value by applying the REML/BLUP statistical procedure. Additionally, genetic
divergence was estimated based on the mean Euclidian distance between the
individuals selected via BLUP. Based on genetic divergence, the best genotypes
were selected for use as parents in new crosses aiming at continuity of the
guava breeding program. The mean values of the traits of selected individuals
surpassed the mean values of their parents, confirming that the strategy of
obtaining full-sib families is effective in generating considerable gains.
ARTICLE – Guava breeding via full-sib family selection: conducting selection cycle and divergence between parents and families
