Abstract Butia odorata (Arecaceae) is a palm species in southern Brazil and eastern Uruguay, which produces tasty fruits consumed by humans and animals. Despite the ecological and sociocultural relevance of the species, B. odorata is endangered by extinction. This study aimed to characterize physical aspects, chromatic parameters, chemical, and centesimal composition and determine the bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of fruits of B. odorata. Fifteen accessions of B. odorata from Pelotas and Capão do Leão (RS-Brazil) were evaluated for bunches weight, fruit yield, fruit diameter and height, total soluble solids (TSS), pH, total titratable acidity (TTA), TSS/TST ratio, color parameters, total phenolic compounds, total carotenoids, antioxidant activity, percentage of moisture, dry matter, vitamin C, crude fiber, fat, ash, protein and pulp yield. There was genetic variability among the analyzed accessions for several parameters. Some of them influence consumer acceptance, such as coloration and sugar content, which highlights the possibility of selection for genetic improvement. The fruits showed a rich composition in fibers, vitamin C, total carotenoids, and total phenolic content, which contribute to health maintenance. With the growing demand for functional foods, Butia fruits represent a potential product for nutritional enrichment in diets.

RESUMO O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar morfologicamente variedades crioulas de Cucurbita maxima do sul do Brasil. Nove variedades crioulas de C. maxima foram caracterizadas com sete descritores quantitativos e 13 descritores qualitativos. As sementes foram cultivadas em casa de vegetação, em sacos de poliestireno preto, preenchidos com substrato. Quando as plantas apresentavam no mínimo duas folhas definitivas, 20 mudas de cada variedade foram transplantadas para o campo experimental, em delineamento completamente casualizado. Os dados quantitativos foram submetidos à análise de variância e foi utilizado o teste de Tukey para a comparação de médias, com o programa SAS 9.2. Os dados de caracteres quantitativos foram submetidos à análise de componentes principais, com o programa R. Para os caracteres qualitativos, a caracterização foi expressa pela moda de cada acesso, para cada descritor. Os caracteres qualitativos foram analisados como variáveis multicategóricas. A matriz de similaridade foi gerada no programa computacional GENES e foi construído um dendrograma, pelo método UPGMA, com o programa NTSYS. Ficou evidenciada a variabilidade genética para os caracteres quantitativos e qualitativos avaliados. A análise de variância evidenciou diferenças significativas entre as médias. Peso, formato, cor do fruto, espessura da casca e número de sementes por fruto são caracteres relevantes para a indicação de variedades crioulas promissoras para o melhoramento genético, com potencial para uso como fontes de genes e desenvolvimento de cultivares.

ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to morphologically characterize Cucurbita maxima landraces. Nine landraces were characterized by seven quantitative descriptors and 13 qualitative descriptors. The seeds were cultivated in black polystyrene bags filled with substrate in greenhouse. When the plants had at least two definitive leaves, 20 seedlings of each landrace were transplanted to the experimental field, spaced 2.5 m between plants and 4 m between rows, in a completely randomized design. Quantitative data were subjected to analysis of variance. Tukey test was used for the comparison of means, using the SAS 9.2 program. Data of quantitative traits were subjected to the principal component analysis, using the R program. For the qualitative traits, the characterization was expressed by the mode of each accession for each descriptor. Qualitative traits were analyzed as multicategorical variables. Similarity matrix was generated in the GENES program, and a dendrogram was constructed by the UPGMA method using the NTSYS program. Genetic variability was evidenced for the quantitative and qualitative traits evaluated. The analysis of variance showed significant differences between the means. Weight, shape, fruit color, bark thickness, and number of seeds per fruit are relevant characters to indicate promising landraces for breeding, with potential for use as sources of genes and development of cultivars.

Abstract The objective of this work was to evaluate the genetic variability for the synthesis of bioactive compounds and minerals in pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) landraces. Total phenolic compounds, carotenoids, antioxidant activity and minerals were evaluated in 10 accessions of Cucurbita moschata landraces from the Genebank of Embrapa Temperate Agriculture (Pelotas - RS, Brazil). Twenty plants of each accession were cultivated in the field during the spring/summer of 2013/2014. After harvesting of mature fruits, the seeds were discarded and opposite longitudinal portions of the pulp were manually prepared for analysis of the bioactive compounds. For the determination of minerals, pumpkin samples were frozen in plastic bags, and after freeze-dried and milled. All analysis were performed in triplicate. The data obtained showed high genetic variability for the synthesis of phenolic compounds, carotenoids, antioxidant activity and minerals. The accessions C52, C81, C267 e C389 showed high levels of antioxidants and minerals, being recommended for use in pumpkin breeding programs. The accessions C52 and C389 are promising, especially because they present the highest levels of total carotenoids.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar as relações genéticas de 21 cultivares de marmeleiro com base no marcador "amplified fragment length polymorphism" (AFLP), para melhoramento e conservação de recursos genéticos da espécie na região sul do Rio Grande do Sul. O DNA das cultivares foi extraído pelo método CTAB, e as reações de AFLP foram realizadas com os iniciadores EcoRI/MseI. Foram identificados dois grupos entre as 21 cultivares de marmeleiro, um com quatro e outro com sete cultivares geneticamente mais relacionadas. As cultivares de marmeleiro apresentam alta variabilidade genética, com máximo de 43% de similaridade.

The objective of this work was to determine the genetic relationships of 21 quince cultivars based on the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) marker, for breeding and conservation of genetic resources of the specie in the south of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The DNA from the cultivars was extracted using the CTAB method, and the AFLP reactions were performed with the primers EcoRI/MseI. Two groups were identified among the 21 quince cultivars, one with four and the other with seven cultivars more genetically related. The quince cultivars show high genetic variability, with maximum of 43% similarity.

As pimentas do gênero Capsicum apresentam grande importância para o mercado de condimentos e para o uso ornamental no Brasil. A estimativa da diversidade genética é importante na escolha de progenitores de programa de melhoramento genético. Este trabalho teve por objetivo verificar a eficiência de descritores multicategóricos de flores para estimar a dissimilaridade genética entre acessos de Capsicum chinense, do Banco Ativo de Germoplasma Capsicum, da Embrapa Clima Temperado. O experimento foi realizado no período de agosto de 2009 a março de 2010, no campo experimental da Embrapa Clima Temperado, em blocos ao acaso, utilizando-se 22 acessos, com dez plantas por parcela. Para a caracterização morfológica das flores, foram avaliadas cinco flores de cada planta, de dez plantas por acesso. Foram utilizados 15 descritores, sendo cinco quantitativos e dez qualitativos multicategóricos. Foram realizadas análises de comparação de médias, utilizando-se agrupamento pelos métodos UPGMA e de Tocher, para os dados quantitativos, e agrupamento pelo método de Tocher, para os dados qualitativos. Os acessos estudados apresentam ampla diversidade genética em relação a descritores de flores, existindo grande variabilidade entre os acessos avaliados, o que recomenda seu uso em programas de melhoramento genético. O uso de descritores multicategóricos de flores é eficiente para estimar a dissimilaridade genética entre acessos de Capsicum chinense.

Capsicum peppers are extremely important in Brazil for the spice market and as ornamental. The estimation of genetic diversity is important for the choice of parents in a breeding program. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of multicategoric descriptors for flowers to estimate the genetic dissimilarity among Capsicum chinense accessions from the Capsicum Active Germplasm Bank of Embrapa Temperate Agriculture The experiment was conducted from October 2009 to March 2010 in the experimental field of Embrapa Temperate Agriculture, with 22 accessions evaluated in randomized blocks and ten plants per plot. Five flowers of each plant, ten plants per access were used for the morphological characterization of the flowers. Five quantitative and ten qualitative multicategoric descriptors were used, making a total of 15. Mean comparison tests were carried out, and the clustering methods UPGMA and Tocher were used for quantitative data, and the Tocher method for qualitative data. The accessions showed wide genetic diversity in relation to descriptors of flowers, with great variability among accessions, which recommends its use in breeding programs. The use of multicategoric descriptors for flowers is efficient to estimate the genetic dissimilarity among accessions of Capsicum chinense.