Variability among genotypes of a ‘cajáumbuzeiro’ (<i>Spondias</i> spp.) germoplasm bank in the Forest Zone of Pernambuco State

Abstract

The ‘cajá-umbu’ is a fruit tree species belonging to the Anacardiaceae family which has spontaneous occurrence in the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil. Its fruits are explored only by extractive form, and consumed mostly as fresh, although there are good perspectives of pulp industrialization. The selection of superior genotypes depends on the variability of existing agronomic characteristics and on agro-industrial interest. The objective of this paper was to estimate genetic similarity coefficients among ‘cajá-umbuzeiro’ genotypes through the electrophoresis technique. The isoenzymes esterase (EST), alcohol desidrogenase (ADH), acid phosphotase (ACP) and peroxidase (POX) were analyzed from young leaf extracts of 33 ‘cajá-umbu’ genotypes. System EST presented a greater isoenzymatic polymorphism, which allowed arranging them in two main genotype groups: one formed by the genotype 6 and another group formed by the other genotypes. The calculated coefficients indicate high genetic similarity among the majority of the studied materials. The  genotypic combinations 2 x 6; 6 x 20; 6 x 24 and 6 x 33 presented the smaller genetic similarity coefficients.