Microsatellite diversity and heterozygosity of parents of a cocoa breeding population
Milton Macoto Yamada, Fábio Gelape Faleiro, Acassi Batista Flores, Uilson Vanderlei Lopes, José Luis Pires, Ronan Xavier Corrêa and Reinaldo Figueiredo dos Santos
ABSTRACT – The purpose of this study was to determine the genetic diversity and heterozygosity of 26 clones used as parents of 27 families. The populations are being evaluated by the Comissão Executiva do Plano da Lavoura Cacaueira (CEPLAC), in the state of BA. Nine of these clones are currently being recommended to farmers, while six others were used as control. The seven microsatellites generated 52 alleles with a mean of seven alleles/locus and genetic distance ranging from 0.17 to 0.90. This indicates a wide distribution of accessions and high variability. The heterozygosity ranged from 20% to 86%, and more than 50% of the loci were heterozygous in 79% of the clones. Although the selection of the parents for populations was not based on genetic distances, the high genetic diversity and heterozygosity of parents indicate highly segregating populations that make the selection of trees of interest possible, due to the variability.