Agronomic performance, genetic dissimilarity and parental selection of sweet potato for hybridization

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the agronomic performance and the genetic dissimilarity, as well as to indicate the most promising hybrid combinations to produce superior recombinations in sweet potato genotypes. An experiment was conducted using a randomized blocks design with eleven treatments (nine clones and two varieties) and three blocks. The genetic dissimilarity among genotypes was determined using Mahalanobis’s
generalized distance, and clusters were formed by Tocher’s method. Clones 6 and 11 presented the highest marketable root yield. Clones 8, 14 and the “Rainha Prata” variety presented the highest phytomass yield on the shoot. Results indicate clone 6 and the “Sergipana” variety, by their high magnitude distances, as the most dissimilar genotypes. The largest distance found among clones was between 6 and 8. The formation of five groups, by Tocher’s methodology, revealed a high dissimilarity among the genotypes. The combinations between clones 6 x 8, 6 x 2, 2 x 8 and clone 11 x the “Sergipana” variety are promising in crossbreeding for obtaining superior segregant populations with higher variability.