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Fruit and seed yields of two classes of Mundo Novo coffee plants

Evidence presented in previous papers indicated that two classes of plants are present in ordinary populations of Mundo Novo coffee (Coffea arabica L.) : a) heterozygotes (Dd) in which the occurrence of "discoid endosperm" is responsible for the increased number of empty fruit locules ; b) homozygotes (DD) in which this abnormal type of endosperm doesn't occur and which only rarely form empty fruit locules. Fruit and seed yields, and percentage of empty locules of various progenies of Mundo Novo coffee were reported by others. These data were regrouped by the authors so as to permit a comparison of the fruit and seed yields of the two above-mentioned genetical classes of plants. The mean yield of fruits produced by Dd plants was higher than that given by DD plants. Since, however, those plants had a higher percentage of empty locule, seed yield was reduced and there was actually no statistically significant difference in the net weight of seeds produced by the two groups. The presence of Dd trees in coffee plantings is undesirable because they have to bear more fruit to produce the same amount of seed given by DD plants, thus increasing labor in harvesting and processing. There has been a great demand for Mundo Novo seed in recent years, and many coffee growers have established small plantings to produce seed. In lots planted with random unselected seed there is usually a tendency for reduction in number of plants with high percentage of empty locules (Dd) because of the usual increase in homozygosity of the populations. If, however, seed for the plantings is picked from plants that produced high yields of fruits, the frequency of plants with the defect in the plantings made with such seed will be increased. When fruit and seed yields are taken into account, and seeds from heterozygous plants are discarded, the planting for seed will be practically free of trees bearing fruits with empty locules. The examination of a small number of fruits per tree to detect presence or absence of empty locules with discoid endosperm provides a quick test for heterozygous (Dd) plants. At present only seeds from plantings certified by the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas are guaranteed to be reasonably free from possessing the factors (Dd) responsible for empty locules.


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