Abstract The selection of sexual genitors in Urochloa decumbens breeding is dependent upon the performance of their progeny simultaneously for several traits. Thus, our objectives were to (i) compare the efficiency of indices to select genitors of U. decumbens, (ii) evaluate the genetic gains obtained through selection intensities, and (iii) evaluate the multivariate pattern of progenies through principal components analysis (PCA). For this purpose, 1415 hybrids from 75 progenies of full siblings were evaluated at Embrapa Beef Cattle (Brazil) using seven cuts for dry matter production, regrowth, protein, fiber, lignin, and percentage digestibility. Statistical analyses were performed using mixed models and PCA. The direct selection for dry matter production provided a 37.51% genetic gain. Agronomic traits using indices provided greater gains. Genitors selected using PCA Biplot were similar to selections using indices. Indices and PCA were proven to be an excellent tool to select multi-traits in U. decumbens.

Abstract Perennial grass hybrids of Urochloa are evaluated for at least two years during the screening stage trials (SS) and advanced trials (AD) in breeding programs, an expensive and time-consuming process. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential for early selection of cultivars in this breeding scheme. We used multiple measurements of agronomic and nutritive value traits of Urochloa humidicola and Urochloa decumbens in the SS, and Urochloa ssp. in the AD. Repeatability coefficient, genetic correlation, selection efficiency (SE), and Spearman correlations were estimated. The results indicated that reliable early selection could be applied, decreasing the evaluation period to one year and a half for SS, and to one year for AD. These results were confirmed by high genetic and rank correlations, and overall SE above 50%. This proposed change in the breeding scheme could save considerable time, labor, and resources and accelerate the release of improved cultivars.

Abstract The breeding program Brachiaria developed by Embrapa Beef Cattle provides studies to obtain forage with agronomic characters desired by farmers. In this regard, in 2013 and 2014, a study was carried out in order to select the best Brachiaria decumbens intraspecific hybrids, which are superior in relation to production, forage nutritional value, and resistance to spittlebugs. Estimates of genetic parameters and gains with selection were carried out. It was found that there was significant variability between genotypes for all characters. Gain with selection (GS%) ranged from 12 to 324%, and the highest percentage was found for weight of pure seeds (PS) of seed collectors of the second harvest. For reproductive tillers (RT), C001 and R091 hybrids had better performance than the control, and this character may be considered as a parameter to estimate production of pure seeds before flowering starts.

Abstract The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for agronomic traits and nutritional value in intraspecific hybrids of B. decumbens. For this, a population of 1,415 hybrids was evaluated in field plots at Embrapa Beef Cattle in Campo Grande/MS/Brazil, with seven clippings in order to estimate field green weight (FGW); total dry matter (TDM); speed of regrowth (SR); tiller regrowth density (TRD); regrowth ability (REG); crude protein (CP); in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVD); neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and lignin (LIG). The statistical analyses were carried out using the mixed models methods. Genetic variability for all traits assessed was detected, and estimates of individual heritability were of medium to high magnitude, indicating the possibility of gains with selection. Significant genetic correlations were observed between FGW and TDM (0.99), TDM and SR (0.81), TDM and IVD (-0.71), TDM and LIG (0.71), and CP and IVD (0.70).

Resumo: Brachiaria decumbens tem grande importância no cenário nacional da pecuária de corte por apresentar alto potencial produtivo forrageiro e alta adaptabilidade a solos ácidos e de baixa fertilidade. Com o intuito de ser obter novas cultivares, híbridos intraespecíficos, previamente selecionados pelo programa de melhoramento de Brachiaria, foram avaliados nos anos de 2013 e 2014, quanto a caracteres fenológicos e potencial de produção de sementes por meio de seus componentes de produção, visando a obtenção de cultivares com características agronômicas satisfatórias de produção e de produtividade de forragem, com resistência às cigarrinhas-das-pastagens e boas produtoras de sementes. As estimativas de correlação fenotípica e análise de variância foram realizadas pelo software SAS 9.3. A partir dos resultados obtidos nos dois anos consecutivos, observou-se que, houve correlação entre número de perfilhos reprodutivos (PR) e peso de sementes puras (SP) nos canteiros do segundo ano de produção em nível de 70% (p<0,01), o que pode ser considerado como parâmetro para se estimar a produção de sementes puras antes do início do florescimento.

Abstract: Brachiaria decumbens has great importance in the national beef cattle scenario due to its high forage yield potential and high adaptability to acid soils and low fertility. In order to obtain new cultivars, intraspecific hybrids, previously selected by the Brachiaria breeding program, were evaluated in 2013 and 2014 for phenological characteristics and seed production potential through their production components, aiming to obtain cultivars with satisfactory production agronomic characteristics and forage yield, resistant to 'cigarrinhas-das-pastagens'(Tomaspia sp.) and good seed production. Estimates of phenotypic correlation and analysis of variance were performed using the SAS 9.3 software. From the results obtained in both consecutive years, it was observed that there was a correlation between the reproductive tiller number (RT) and the pure seeds (PS) weight in the seedbeds of the second year of production around 70% (p < 0.01), which can be considered as a parameter to estimate the production of pure seeds before the start of flowering.

Resumo Objetivou-se avaliar híbridos intraespecíficos de Brachiaria decumbens para dois componentes da adaptação edafoclimática: vigor da raiz e resistência aoalumínio. Cem híbridos intraespecíficos e seus parentais foram avaliados em casa de vegetação. Os híbridos diferiram para ambos os caracteres, indicando a existência de variabilidade genética. Os parentais apresentaram desempenho semelhante para vigor da raiz, mas diferiram para resistência ao alumínio. Vinte e três e sete híbridos foram superiores a cultivar Basilisk para vigor da raiz e resistência ao alumínio, respectivamente, porém a maioria não foi coincidente em ambos os caracteres. A herança da resistência ao alumínio aparenta ser quantitativa, visto que a maioria dos híbridos apresentou um desempenho mediano, e poucos nos extremos. A estimativa da herdabilidade com base em médias de progênies para resistência ao alumínio (0,27) foi inferior a do vigor da raiz (0,69). A metodologia utilizada foi eficiente em discriminar e identificar híbridos superiores para adaptação edafoclimática.

Abstract The objective of this work was to evaluate hybrids of Brachiaria decumbens for root vigor and aluminum resistance as components of edaphic adaptation. One hundred intraspecific hybrids and their parents were evaluated in a greenhouse solution-culture. Significant differences for both traits indicate that there is genetic variability amongst hybrids. The parents had a similar performance for root growth, but differed significantly for aluminum resistance. Twenty three and seven hybrids were superior to cv. Basilisk for root vigor and aluminum resistance, respectively, but most of them were not coincident for both traits. Aluminum resistance seemed to vary quantitatively, since the majority of the hybrids were placed around the mean and fewer in the extremes. The estimate of heritability based on progeny means for aluminum resistance (0.27) was lower than for root vigor (0.69). The method used was efficient in discriminating hybrids, and identified the best ones for edaphic adaptation.

Resumo O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar parâmetros genéticos para caracteres agronômicos e de resistência às cigarrinhas-das-pastagens em híbridos de Brachiaria decumbens e selecionar os de melhor desempenho. Trezentos e vinte e quatro híbridos foram avaliados em campo para caracteres agronômicos e em casa de vegetação para resistência às cigarrinhas-das-pastagens. Observou-se existência de variabilidade genética entre os híbridos para todos os caracteres analisados. As estimativas de herdabilidade entre médias de genótipos foram superiores a 0,52 para todos os caracteres agronômicos e de 0,98 para sobrevivência ninfal e 0,99 para duração do período ninfal. Híbridos com melhor desempenho em relação a cultivar Basilisk foram identificados para cada caráter individualmente e conjuntamente por meio de índices de seleção. A atribuição de pesos diferentes entre os caracteres nos índices de seleção não alterou significativamente o ranqueamento dos híbridos. Híbridos superiores foram selecionados para as próximas etapas do programa de melhoramento.

Abstract The objective of this work was to estimate genetic parameters for agronomic traits and resistance to spittlebugs in B. decumbens hybrids and to select the ones with best performance. For that, 324 hybrids were evaluated in field plots for agronomic traits and in the greenhouse for resistance to spittlebugs. Genetic variability amongst the hybrids was observed for all traits analyzed. The heritability estimates between genotypes means were higher than 0.52 for all agronomic traits and 0.98 and 0.99 for nymphal survival and nymphal period duration respectively. Hybrids with better performance than cultivar Basilisk for each individual trait were identified and also through a selection index combining all traits. Assigning weights to the different traits in the selection index did not significantly alter the rank for superior hybrids. Those were selected to continue on to the next phases of the breeding program.

Linhagens elites de milho (Zea mays L.) desenvolvidas em programas genealógicos tendem a ser geneticamente relacionadas. Portanto, é necessário incorporar linhagens não relacionadas a estes programas para permitir a liberação contínua de híbridos simples superiores. Comparou-se a utilidade de um procedimento modificado de seleção recorrente recíproca (SRRM) em melhorar populações a serem utilizadas como fontes de linhagens elites e híbridos simples superiores para integrar os programas de melhoramento, e investigar os efeitos da seleção na contribuição relativa da capacidade geral (CGC) e da capacidade específica (CEC) de combinação para a variabilidade dos híbridos simples. Oito e seis linhagens S3 obtidas das populações IG-3-C1 e IG-4-C1, respectivamente, selecionadas do primeiro ciclo de SRRM, foram cruzadas no delineamento dialelo parcial e os 48 híbridos simples experimentais (HSE) e cinco híbridos simples comerciais (HSC) foram avaliados em seis ambientes. A média geral de produção de grãos dos HSE (9.57 t ha¹) não diferiu significativamente dos HSC (9.86 t ha¹), e dez dos 48 HSE poderiam ser liberados como cultivares, pois são comparáveis aos híbridos simples comerciais. Portanto, um ciclo de SRRM foi eficiente em melhorar as populações permitindo a produção de híbridos simples superiores, mas ciclos adicionais de seleção deverão ser conduzidos, pois nenhum dos HSE superou o híbrido simples comercial mais produtivo. As contribuições relativas da CGC e da CEC podem ter sido afetadas pela SRRM, uma vez que a CEC foi mais importante que a CGC para alguns caracteres avaliados.

Maize (Zea mays L.) elite inbred lines developed from pedigree programs tend to be genetically related. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate unrelated inbreds to those programs to allow the continued release of outstanding single-crosses. The objectives of this research were to compare the usefulness of a modified reciprocal recurrent selection procedure (MRRS) to improve populations to be used as sources of elite inbreds and outstanding single-crosses to integrate pedigree programs, and to investigate the effects of selection on the relative contribution of general (GCA) and specific combining (SCA) abilities to the single-crosses variation. Eight and six S3 lines from populations IG-3-C1 and IG-4-C1, respectively, selected from the first cycle of the MRRS program were crossed in a partial-diallel mating design, and the 48 experimental and five commercial single-crosses were evaluated in six environments. Grain yield mean of the experimental single-crosses (9.57 t ha¹) did not differ from the commercial single-crosses (9.86 t ha¹), and ten of the 48 experimental single-crosses could be released as cultivars because they compared favorably to the currently used single-crosses. Thus, one cycle of the MRRS procedure improved efficiently the populations allowing the development of outstanding single-cross, but additional cycles of selection should be carried out since none of the experimental single-crosses outperformed the highest yielding commercial single-cross. The relative contribution of the GCA over SCA may have been affected by the MRRS, since the SCA was more important than GCA for some of the traits assessed.

O declínio dos citros, uma anomalia de etiologia desconhecida, continua sendo um dos entraves para o setor citrícola, uma vez que não existem medidas de prevenção e controle para as plantas acometidas pela anomalia. Para a caracterização e estudo da anomalia, muita ênfase tem sido dada à mudança na expressão gênica de plantas afetadas, que culmina no acúmulo de proteínas. Proteínas totais extraídas dos vasos do xilema de raízes de plantas afetadas pela anomalia, quando separadas por eletroforese no sistema SDS-PAGE 12,5%, apresentam um perfil eletroforético contendo proteínas com massas moleculares de cerca de 21, 23, 31 e 42 kDa, sendo que plantas consideradas sadias apresentam proteínas de 21, 31 e 42 kDa. Com este trabalho objetivou-se obter anticorpos contra essas proteínas, bem como a titulação adequada para os mesmos. Duas inoculações subcutâneas foram realizadas em coelhos, espaçadas de 15 dias, ambas usando cerca de 120 µg de proteína isolada, sendo que cada coelho recebeu uma proteína específica, visando à produção de anticorpos. A primeira sangria foi realizada aos 21 dias após a primeira inoculação e as demais semanalmente. A técnica Western Blotting foi realizada para a confirmação da especificidade dos anticorpos, bem como para determinação das respectivas titulações. O título 1:1500 foi aquele que proporcionou maior especificidade para as proteínas de 21, 23 e 31 kDa. Para a proteína de 42 kDa a melhor titulação foi de 1:3000. Estes anticorpos poderão ser utilizados em estudos para caracterização dessas proteínas.

Citrus blight, an abnormality of unknown etiology, is a major problem in citrus production, since there are no prevention and control measures to be taken. In order to characterize this abnormality, changes in genetic expression of the affected plants have exhaustedly been studied. Crude proteec extract obtained from the root xylem of the abnormal plants, when separated by SDS-PAGE 12,5%, display a profile with 21, 23, 31 and 42 kDa proteins. This work aimed the production of antibodies against those proteins, as well as their ideal dilution for use. Two subcutaneous inoculations were done in rabbits, within a 15-day interval, both with approximately 120mg of the isolated protein, with each rabbit receiving shots with a specific protein, for the production of the antibodies. A First bleeding was performed 21 days after the first inoculation and afterwards, weekly. Western blotting was carried out to confirm the presence of the antibodies and their respective dilutions. The 1:1500 dilution provided the best specificity for the 21, 23 and 31 kDa proteins, whereas for the 26 and 42 kDa proteins, the best dilution was at 1:3000.