Sequential selection of potato clones
Eduardo de Souza Lambert, César Augusto Brasil Pereira Pinto, and Gustavo André Simon
Selection in species of vegetative propagation can be realized with the phenotypic information of genotypes obtained in earlier stages grouped in a selection index, denominated sequential selection. Objective of this study was to verify the efficiency of the sequential selection in potato. Nine generations were used and the trials conducted at different sites in different years and different planting periods. For the construction of this index the phenotypic means were weighed by the number of replications per trial. A low correlation was observed between the clone means in the generations, indicating that the data of a single generation only should be used to discard the worst clones. Owing to the sequential selection index, a reduced number of generations for selection can be recommended for highly heritable traits. For low-heritability traits, the index presented an even greater efficiency, but evaluations of a larger number of generations are needed in such cases.