Biometric characterization of fruits and seeds of cagaita (Eugenia dysentericaDC.) in southern Piauí, Brazils / Caracterização biométrica de frutos e sementes de cagaita (Eugenia dysentericaDC.)na região sul do Piauí, Brasil

Abstract

The objective of this study was to characterize the genetic diversityof a natural population Eugenia dysentericaDC, in southern Piauí, from the morphological characteristics of fruits and seeds. Seven phenotypic characteristics were evaluated for 200 fruits and the diversity of 10 adult individuals was estimated.Biometric data were analyzed using univariate statistics and deviations from normality of data were confirmed by the Lilliefors test, for use of non-parametric Spearman correlation. The genetic divergence between the individuals observed was based on the dendrogram, through the average euclidean distance matrix, which was obtained from the values of the biometric variables. Regarding the asymmetry, there was a left distribution for the variables: fruit weight, pulp and peel weight. The other variables presented positive values. The number of seeds per fruit and the weight of the pulp and peel showed a kurtosis measure smaller than the normal distribution, K <3. According to the dendrogram that evaluated the similarity between the individuals regarding biometric characteristics, there was greater similarity between individuals 1 and 3, with maximum dissimilarity between individuals 7 and 8. Most correlations between biometric variables were not significant,except between the weight of the fruit and the weight of the seed; fruit weight and pulp and peel weight; seed weight and seed number. The results obtained in this study were relevant, as they will serve as subsidies for studies related to pre-breeding and genetic conservation of the species.

Keywords

• conservation
• genetic diversity
• morphometry