The cagaiteira is a common fruit species in the Cerrado. The plant produces a berry fruit eaten in natura or processed of several ways. Concerning the yield potential of the specie, there is interest in their domestication to large-scale production. To this aim, the evaluation of genetic variability is essential to support breeding and domestication programs for the species. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters of quantitative traits of germplasm collection of Eugenia dysenterica DC., to provide information that may be useful in breeding programs. The experiment was set up in 1998 in randomized block design, with 110 treatments and four replications. Variables of plants, which include height (AP), height of the first bifurcation (AB), the stem circumference (CC), average of crown projection (DC) and variable of leaves, which include leaf length (CL), leaf width (LL), leaf format (FF) and footstalk length (CP). The heritability coefficients ranged from 87.66 % to 25.16% and the coefficient of genetic variation ranged from 45% and 7%, similar values for other wild species of the Cerrado. Parameter estimates suggest modest responses of selection to variables of plants and expressive responses to the variables of leaves.
Eugenia dysenterica DC.; genetic variability; conservation; domestication of wild species; fruit specie
