Polyembryony is one of the most important limitations to sexual breeding programs in Citrus, as well as the great reproductive cycle and long juvenility period, once it becomes difficult the recognition of possible hybrids. Aiming at to evaluate the intensity of polyembryony in different clones of `Pera' and other six sweet orange varieties similar to `Pera', quantification of embryos per seed and by seed germination in greenhouse were studied and related to number, weight and germination tax of seeds. The `Pera EEL' showed a fewer number of embryos per seed (1.4); most of genotypes showed from 2 to 4 embryos per seed and the `Pera Premunizada-1212' showed a larger value (6.2 embryos per seed). The `Pera Vimusa' showed 70.8% of seed germination and the other genotypes values below 50% of germination. The number of embryos by germinated seed varied from 1.3, for Redonda and Lamb's Summer varieties, to 2.3 for `Pera GS-2000'. All genotypes showed from median to high level of polyembryony.
Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck; nucelar embryony; germination tax; breeding
