Variabilidade genética em populações de Capsicum spp. não pungentes cultivadas na Amazônia

Abstract

The Capsicum germplasm is an important basis for upholding the horticulture market linkages in the Amazon as the raw material for agroindustry medicines, cosmetics, candy, condiments and preserved. This study aimed to characterize and evaluate populations (POPs) of Capsicum spp.not pungent, cultivated by traditional farmers in the Amazon, based on morphoagronomic descriptors. The experiment was conducted from December 2009 to July 2010 in vases with a capacity of 7.5 kg of substrate, in farmed covered with transparent plastic, at Estação Experimental de Hortaliças, of INPA, in Manaus, Amazonas. For the botanical identification and analysis of genetic variability of 30 POPs, It was used two morphological keys, multivariate analysis and grouping method for Next Neighborhood. Among the 30 POPs, 28 were identified as C. chinense Jacq., and one as C. frutescens L.. The botanical identification of a population, using the two keys, was not clear. The grouping of POPs formed based on seven qualitative descriptors using the hierarchical method Next Neighborhood, agreed with the taxonomic identification performed using the taxonomic keys. In morphoagronomic caracterization were used 24 multicategoric binaries descriptors (13 quantitative and 11 qualitative) and multivariate analysis techniques. The groups formed on the basis of quantitative descriptors remained well dispersed, forming coherent groups, with common characteristics within groups and between divergent groups. The obtained groupings with the use of qualitative descriptors multicategoric grouped together the POPs according to their phenotypic characteristics and botanical species. The 30 POPs analyzed are divergent, with wide genetic variability and potential for immediate use for commercial cultivation and breeding programs of species.