The efficiency of artificial neural networks (ANN) to model complex problems may enable the prediction of characteristics that are hard to measure, providing better results than the traditional indirect selection. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the potential of using artificial neural networks (ANN) for indirect selection against early flowering in lettuce, identify the influence of genotype by environment interaction in this strategy and compare your results with the traditional indirect selection. The number of days to anthesis were used as the desired output and the information of six characteristics (fresh weight of shoots, mass of marketable fresh matter of shoots, commercial dry matter of shoots, average diameter of the head, head circumference and leaf number) as input file for the training of the ANN-MLP (Perceptron Multi-Layer). The use of ANN has great potential adjustment for indirect selection for genetic improvement of lettuce against early flowering. The selection based on the predicted values by network provided estimates of gain selection largest that traditional indirect selection. The ANN trained with data from an experiment have low power extrapolation to another experiment, due to effect of interaction genotype by environment. The ANNs trained simultaneously with data from different experiments presented greater predictive power and extrapolation.

The objective of this study was to evaluate sweet potato clones for resistance to root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita races 1 and 3. For each nematode physiological race, a greenhouse experiment was set up in a randomized block experimental design with three replications and six plants per plot. Fifty-eight sweet potato clones from the UFVJM germplasm bank were evaluated, plus five commercial cultivars (Brazlândia Rosada, Brazlândia Branca, Palmas, Princesa and Coquinho), plus the cv. Santa Clara tomato (susceptible to Meloidogyne spp.). Stems were planted in 72-cell expanded polystyrene trays, filled with commercial substrate and inoculated with the pathogen thirty days after planting. Forty-five days after inoculation, the eggs were extracted, counted, and later evaluated. Resistance level classification was performed based on reproduction factor (RF) and reproduction index (RI). Among the 63 analyzed clones, a percentage of 78% were classified as resistant to M. incognita race 1.79% to race 3 and 67% showed multiple resistance to both M. incognita races.

Devido à crescente importância do mercado do tomate tipo italiano no Brasil, objetivou-se conhecer a capacidade combinatória de linhagens de tomateiro potencialmente utilizáveis como genitoras de híbridos voltados a esse segmento. O experimento constituiu-se de 28 genótipos, sendo 18 híbridos oriundos de um dialelo parcial, obtido pelo cruzamento entre dois grupos de linhagens: Grupo I (nove genitores) e Grupo II (dois genitores), oito híbridos adicionais e duas testemunhas comerciais. Foram avaliados produção total, massa média de frutos, firmeza, formato e teor de sólidos solúveis. Houve predominância dos efeitos gênicos aditivos para todas as características avaliadas. As linhagens TOM-542 e TOM-734, pertencentes ao Grupo I, e TOM-720, Grupo II, apresentaram estimativas elevadas de capacidade geral de combinação para a maioria das características de importância para o segmento de tomate italiano, portanto, recomendadas para a obtenção de híbridos desse tipo. A superioridade da linhagem TOM-723 sobre a TOM-720 (Grupo II) quanto à firmeza de frutos foi atribuída, principalmente, à presença, na primeira, do alelo norA, que condiciona maior conservação pós-colheita. Os híbridos experimentais F1 (TOM-542 x TOM-720), F1 (TOM-580 x TOM-720), F1 (TOM-734 x TOM-720) e F1 (TOM-727 x TOM-720) apresentaram bom desempenho agronômico e qualidade de fruto, constituindo possíveis materiais comerciais.

Given the growing importance of the saladette fresh tomato market in Brazil, the objective of this paper was to assess the combining abilities of lines potentially useful as parents of hybridsin this class. The experiment consisted of28 genotypes, 18 hybrids from a partial diallel crossobtained from crossing two groups of tomato lines (Group I, with 9 parents, and Group II, with 2 parents), 8 F1 experimental hybrids, and 2 commercial checks. Traits evaluated were total yield, mean fruit mass, fruit shelf life, shape and percentsoluble solids. Additive genetic effects were generally more important than non-additive effects for all traits evaluated. The TOM-542 and TOM-734 lines, from group I, and the TOM-720 line, from group II, presented high general combining ability (GCA) estimates for most of the traits of importance for saladette tomatoes, and were therefore considered suitable parents of hybrids of this class. Higher fruit shelf life of TOM-723 as a parental line compared with TOM-720 (Group II), was mainly attributed to the presence in the former of the norA allele, which controls longer fruit shelf life. F1 hybrids (TOM-542 x TOM-720), (TOM-580 x TOM-720), (TOM-734 x TOM-720), and (TOM-727 x TOM-720) showed good performance and fruit quality and thus constitute possible commercial varieties.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os parâmetros genéticos das características agronômicas e de tolerância ao florescimento precoce de onze cultivares de alface, bem como verificar a existência de associação entre as características. O experimento foi realizado em ambiente protegido, em delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições e doze plantas por parcela. Quarenta e cinco dias após o transplantio das mudas, foram mensuradas as seguintes características: massa de matéria fresca total e "comercial" da parte aérea, massa de matéria seca "comercial" da parte aérea, massa de matéria fresca e seca da raiz, diâmetro e circunferência da cabeça, altura de planta, número de folhas por planta e número de dias até a antese. Há variabilidade genética entre as cultivares, em todas as variáveis, exceto quanto à circunferência de planta e matéria fresca da raiz. As cultivares Regina 500, Lívia e Atração foram superiores quanto ao número de dias para o florescimento e também para as demais características avaliadas. A seleção contra o florescimento precoce ocasionou ganho em todas as características; porém, não interferiu na matéria seca da raiz. A matéria fresca da parte aérea e o diâmetro de cabeça são indicadas para a seleção indireta contra o florescimento precoce.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic parameters of agronomic traits and of tolerance to early flowering of eleven cultivars of lettuce, as well as to verify the existence of an association between the characteristics. The experiment was carried out in a protected environment, in a randomized complete block design, with four replicates, and twelve plants per plot. Forty-five days after seedling transplanting, the following traits were measured: total shoot fresh mass, marketable shoot fresh mass, marketable dry shoot weight, fresh and dry weight of roots, diameter and circumference of head, plant height, number of leaves per plant, and number of days until anthesis. There was genetic variability between cultivars for all variables, except for circumference of plant and fresh weight of root. The cultivars Regina 500, Lívia and Atração were superior for number of days to flowering and also for the other characteristics. The selection against early flowering caused gain of all the characteristics, but did not affect root dry matter. Fresh matter of shoots and head diameter are indicated for indirect selection against early flowering.

No Brasil, o tomate é cultivado em praticamente todas as regiões, embora seu rendimento seja reduzido por pragas e doenças. A mosca-branca, comumente presente, causa danos diretos e indiretos, devido à transmissão de geminiviros. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi comparar o grau de resistência à mosca branca de linhagens de tomateiro ricas em acilaçúcares (AA), zingibereno (ZGB) e 2-tridecanona (2-TD) e verificar se a seleção de linhagens com base em tricomas glandulares é efetiva no sentido de promover níveis satisfatórios de resistência. Essas linhagens foram obtidas através de retrocruzamentos em tomateiro Solanum lycopersicum, a partir do cruzamento interespecífico S. lycopersicum x S. habrochaites var. glabratum 'PI 1344171'. Linhagens ricas em AA , ZGB e 2-TD foram testadas para níveis de resistência. Duas linhagens de tomateiro (TOM-584 e TOM-679), com nível normal de AA, e o acesso selvagem (PI 134417), alto teor de 2-TD, foram utilizados como testemunhas. TOM-687, ZGB-703 e TOM-622 mostraram diminuições na ovoposição e na contagem de ninfas, quando comparados com os controles TOM-584 e TOM-679. As linhagens ricas nos aleloquímicos mostraram níveis de resistência à praga, relativamente aos controles, e não deferiram significativamente entre si. Os resultados mostram que linhagens ricas em AA, ZGB e 2-TD são eficazes alternativas de seleção indireta para criação de resistência a Bemisia argentifolii. As linhagens selecionadas para maior densidade de tricomas, exceto BPX-365F-751-05-01-03, apresentaram números médios de ninfas inferiores ao das testemunhas suscetíveis, indicando que a seleção para maior número de tricomas glandulares foi efetiva no sentido de promover aumento dos níveis de resistência à mosca-branca.

In Brazil, the tomato is cultivated in almost all geographic regions even though its yield is significantly reduced by pests and diseases. Among these pests and diseases, whitefly is a major problem that causes direct and indirect damage due to its role in transmission of geminiviruses. The aim of the present study was to compare the degree of resistance to the silverleaf whitefly of tomato plant lines rich in acyl sugars (AS), zingiberene (ZGB), and 2-tridecanone (2-TD) and to establish whether selection for strains with higher densities of glandular trichomes promotes sufficient resistance to this insect pest. The investigated lines were developed by performing back-crossings in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) from the interspecific crossing of S. lycopersicum x S. habrochaites var. glabratum 'PI 134417'. Lines rich in AS, ZGB, and 2-TD were tested for their levels of resistance to B. tabaci biotype B. Two tomato plant lines (TOM-584 and TOM-679) with normal AS levels and one wild specimen (PI 134417) with high 2-TD content were used as controls. TOM-687, ZGB-703, and TOM-622 were less preferred by B. tabaci for oviposition, and nymphs exhibited a poorer survival rate on those plant lines than on the susceptible controls, TOM-584 and TOM-679. Allelochemical-rich lines exhibited pest resistance, whereas the controls did not, and the allelochemical-rich lines did not differ significantly from each other in the level of resistance. The results show that the development of tomato plant lines rich in 2-TD, ZGB and AS is an effective option for indirect selection for resistance to B. tabaci biotype B. All lines selected based on high trichome density except for BPX-365F-751-05-01-03 exhibited fewer nymphs than the susceptible controls, indicating that selection for more glandular trichomes was generally effective in promoting increased resistance to the silverleaf white flay.

Comparou-se a efetividade de linhagens melhoradas de tomateiro, ricas em 2-tridecanona (2-TD), zingibereno (ZGB) e acilaçúcares (AA), em relação aos níveis de resistência à traça-do-tomateiro Tuta absoluta. Verificaram-se, também, se linhagens selecionadas para maiores densidades de tricomas glandulares, presumivelmente com maiores níveis de 2-tridecanona, são efetivas em promover maior resistência à traça. Como testemunhas suscetíveis foram utilizadas as linhagens TOM-584 e TOM-679, com nível normal dos três aleloquímicos. A linhagem melhorada TOM-687 (com alto teor de AA) foi utilizada como linhagem resistente padrão, por ter sua resistência amplamente documentada, juntamente com o também resistente acesso selvagem PI134417 (com alto teor de 2-TD). O experimento foi instalado em casa de vegetação, em delineamento inteiramente casualizado. O acesso selvagem PI 134417 confirmou-se como altamente resistente. TOM-622 (rica em 2-TD), ZGB-703 (rica em ZGB) e TOM-687 apresentaram diminuições significativas na ovoposição da traça-do-tomateiro, bem como no dano geral na planta, lesão nos folíolos e porcentagem de folíolos atacados, comparadas às testemunhas TOM-584 e TOM-679. Os níveis de resistência à traça em TOM-622, ZGB-703 e TOM-687 foram similares entre si. Em geral, os genótipos selecionados com maiores densidades de tricomas glandulares apresentaram níveis de resistência também superiores aos das testemunhas suscetíveis, destacando entre eles o tratamento BPX-367D-238-02.

We examined the resistance of improved tomato strains rich in 2-tridecanone (2-TD), zingiberene (ZGB) and acyl sugars (AA) to the tomato moth, Tuta absoluta. We also studied whether selection for strains with higher densities of glandular trichomes, and thus presumably strains with higher concentrations of 2-tridecanone, was effective in promoting greater resistance to the moth. The TOM-584 and TOM-679 strains were used as susceptible controls, which have normal concentrations of the three allelochemicals. The improved strain TOM-687, which has a high AA content, has a widely documented resistance and was used as a standard resistant strain. The wild strain PI134417, which is resistant by means of its high 2-TD content, was also used as a standard resistant strain. The experiment was installed in a greenhouse with a completely randomized design. The wild strain PI 134417 was confirmed as being highly resistant. TOM-622 (rich in 2-TD), ZGB-703 (rich in ZGB), and TOM-687 (rich in AA) showed significant reductions in the oviposition rate of the tomato moth, damage to the plants, injury to the leaflets, and the percentage of leaflets attacked in comparison with the control strains (TOM-584 and TOM-679). The levels of resistance to the moth for the TOM-622, ZGB-703, and TOM-687 strains were similar. In general, the genotypes with higher densities of glandular trichomes had greater resistance than the susceptible controls, with the strain BPX-367D-238-02 being particularly notable in its resistance.