ABSTRACT Peppers belongs to Capsicum genus and have a lot of different varieties. They can be different uses such as potted ornamental plants. Retail market for this type of pepper requires the development of a greater number of commercial cultivars with adequate ornamental characteristics as well as an extended shelf life (post-production). Ethylene exposure causes adverse effects in ornamental pepper post-production. Then, the goal of this study was to select ornamental pepper elite lines (Capsicum annuum L.) for ethylene-insensitive. The experiment was conducted at the Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology of the Center for Agricultural Sciences of the Federal University of Paraíba, Areia, PB. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design. Eight elite lineages and two control cultivars evaluated at three times 48, 72 and 96 hours after ethylene exposure were disposed in a split-plot arrangement. Each treatment was composed of ten repetitions. The data were submmited to analysis of variance, Scott-Knott criteria (5%), and regression analysis. The leaves demonstrated to be more sensitive to ethylene while fruits were more insensitive. It is recommended selection of UFPB lines: 56.8.24.1; 56.26.15.1 and 56.26.34.1 to participate in trials tests aiming at registration of new ethylene-insensitive cultivars.

ABSTRACT Peppers belong to the Solanaceae family and present a wide genetic variability that may be accessed through phenotypic and genotypic traits. This work aimed to study the genetic divergence in an ornamental pepper F3 population by multivariate methods based on the individual and simultaneous analyses of qualitative, quantitative, and molecular data. The work was developed in the Center of Agrarian Sciences (CCA) of the Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB), Paraíba state, Brazil. 44 progenies from an F3 generation were used and the characterization of 30 qualitative traits, 16 quantitative traits, and 18 pairs of microsatellite primers was performed. Individual and simultaneous analyses of the variables were performed by using the clustering method of Ward’s algorithm. Tocher’s method was used based on distance matrixes. A non-metric multidimensional scaling was applied (nMDS) for the graphic representation of the distance matrixes in the bidimensional space. Data analysis was efficient to separate the genotypes into distinct groups. There is genetic variability among the individuals of the C. annuum F3 population, verified by individual and joint trait measurements. The three clustering methods were efficient to represent the genetic distance between individuals of ornamental pepper plants. Individuals 1, 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, 21, 27, 29, 35, and 38 are indicated to advance generation and continue the breeding program.

RESUMO Objetivou-se com esta pesquisa avaliar a fenologia de acessos de C. procera com base em características morfofisiológicas. Foram coletadas sementes de 70 acessos de C. procera entre outubro de 2015 e janeiro de 2016, em áreas de ocorrência natural da espécie, na região Nordeste do Brasil. Atualmente esses acessos compõem a coleção de germoplasma do Instituto Nacional do Semiárido (INSA). O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação no INSA, em Campina Grande - PB, entre janeiro e setembro de 2016. As plantas foram cultivadas em vasos plásticos preenchidos com solo, onde foi feita a adubação conforme recomendação de análise do solo e foram irrigadas em intervalos de 3 dias. Realizaram-se leituras de características morfofisiológicas, inicialmente aos 30 dias após a semeadura (DAS) com avaliações intercaladas em 30 dias até os 240 DAS. Além disso, estimaram-se os índices fisiológicos até os 120 DAS e avaliaram-se a queda de folhas, a floração e a frutificação. Obteve-se a média de cada característica com o ajuste e seleção dos modelos de regressão para explicar o crescimento de C. procera, com base no coeficiente de determinação. O estádio vegetativo de C. procera ocorre durante os 240 DAS, com queda e produção de folhas continuamente, enquanto o estádio reprodutivo se inicia aos 153 DAS, prosseguindo até os 222 DAS, dependendo do acesso, tornando-se constante a emissão de inflorescência nas plantas após o início da floração. Os índices fisiológicos são eficientes para estimar o crescimento de acessos de C. procera.

ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to evaluate the phenology of Calotropis procera accessions based on morphophysiological characteristics. Seeds of 70 C. procera accessions were collected between October 2015 and January 2016 in areas where the species naturally occurs in Northeastern Brazil. These accessions make up the current germplasm collection of the National Institute of the Semi-arid (INSA). The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at INSA, in Campina Grande - PB, from January to September in 2016. The plants were cultivated in plastic pots filled with soil. Fertilization was conducted according to soil analysis recommendations and plants were irrigated at a 3-day interval. Morphophysiological characteristics were recorded 30 days after sowing (DAS) and 30-day intercalated evaluations were conducted up to 240 DAS. In addition, physiological indexes were estimated and leaf fall, flowering, and fruiting were evaluated at 120 DAS. Mean of each characteristic was obtained using the adjustment and the selection of regression models to explain the growth of C. procera based on the coefficient of determination. The vegetative stage of C. procera occurs during the 240 DAS, with continuous fall and production of leaves, while the reproductive stage begins at 153 DAS, continuing until 222 DAS, depending on the accession, making emission of inflorescences constant on plants after the beginning of flowering. The physiological indexes are efficient to estimate the growth of C. procera accessions.

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi construir redes ponderadas de correlação, para descobrir estruturas de correlação e padrões de ligação entre 28 caracteres morfoagronômicos de pimenteiras, relacionados à plântula, planta, inflorescência e fruto. Informações fenotípicas e genotípicas de 16 genótipos de Capsicum foram analisadas. Estruturas de correlação e padrões de ligação podem ser facilmente identificados nas matrizes por meio do algoritmo Fruchterman-Reingold, com as informações da rede de correlações. Ambos os tipos de correlação mostraram o mesmo padrão geral de ligação entre caracteres de frutos, com altos valores de herdabilidade no sentido amplo e grande aptidão desses genótipos para o melhoramento agronômico e ornamental. As dimensões das folhas estão correlacionadas ao grupo de caracteres de fruto. Redes de correlação de caracteres de pimenteiras podem aumentar a eficácia da seleção de genótipos, uma vez que tanto caracteres correlacionados quanto grupos podem ser identificados.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to build weighted correlation networks, in order to discover correlation structures and link patterns among 28 morphoagronomic traits of chili pepper related to seedling, plant, inflorescence, and fruit. Phenotypic and genotypic information of 16 Capsicum genotypes were analyzed. Correlation structures and link patterns can be easily identified in the matrices using the Fruchterman-Reingold algorithm with correlation network information. Both types of correlations showed the same general link pattern among fruit traits, with high broad-sense heritability values and high aptitude of the genotypes for agronomic and ornamental breeding. Leaf dimensions are correlated with a cluster of fruit traits. Correlation networks of chili pepper traits may increase the effectiveness of genotype selection, since both correlated traits and groups can be identified.

O estudo das estruturas fitossociológicas e de tamanhos em fragmentos florestais secundários permite inferências a respeito da composição e das estruturas originais do início da sucessão secundária. Em se tratando de matas de galeria ou ciliares, a importância desses estudos aumenta com a crescente pressão causada por impactos em cursos d'água e suas margens, especialmente as construções de barragens para hidrelétricas. Com este trabalho objetivou-se descrever a estrutura de uma mata de galeria secundária e, a partir desta, identificar uma população de espécie arbórea que participou do início do processo sucessional nessa floresta. Em seguida, com esses dados, objetivou-se estudar a estrutura genética e levantar dados sobre a biologia dessa espécie, que provavelmente iniciou o processo sucessional. Foi realizado um censo de todas as árvores que apresentassem circunferência do caule a 1,3 m do solo maior ou igual a 10 cm. Das 48 espécies de árvores incluídas, 87,5% são endozoocóricas e 12,5 anemocóricas. Das anemocóricas, as com menores diásporos apresentaram maior densidade nessa floresta, que está isolada das outras por pastagens. A mata de galeria em questão apresentou como espécies mais importantes (VI) ovata, Erythrina falcata e Euterpe edulis. Espécies de Ficus do subgênero Urostigma apresentaram grande biomassa, apesar da baixa densidade. Erythrina falcata foi considerada uma das espécies de maior importância, provavelmente associada às espécies de Ficus, no início da sucessão secundária, pela estrutura de diâmetros de caule por ela apresentada. Em Erythrina falcata foram analisados os sistemas isoenzimáticos de Isocitrato Desidrogenase, Peroxidase, Fosfogluco Mutase e Xiquimato Desidrogenase por meio de zimogramas. A população dos 27 indivíduos de Erythrina falcata mostrou-se em equilíbrio de Hardy-Weinberg e com relativa alta diversidade alélica. A população de Erythrina falcata mostrou possuir condições biológicas e ecológicas para iniciar a sucessão secundária. A alta diversidade genética da população de Erythrina falcata pode ter sido um dos fatores determinantes do sucesso de colonização da área. A associação de Erythrina falcata com figueiras pode ter sido determinante no sucesso desse processo em seu início, e a associação inicial deve ter funcionado como sistema de baixa diversidade de espécies, comparável a outras florestas alagadas do Sudeste brasileiro.

The study of the phytosociological structures and sizes in secondary forest fragments allows to make inferences on the original composition and structures at the beginning of the secondary succession. The importance of gallery or riparian forest studies increases with the increasing concerns on the impacts caused by water courses and their borders, specially the building of power plant dams. The objectives of this work were to describe the structure of a secondary gallery forest to identify an arboreous species population which participated at the beginning of the successional process in this forest and based on these data, to study the genetic structure and to assess the biology of the species which probably started the successional process. A survey of all the trees with a 1,3 m stem circumference from the ground greater than or equal to 10 cm was carried out. Out of the 48 tree species already included, 87.5% are endozoochoric and 12.5% are anemochoric. Out of the latter those with the smallest propagules presented greater density in this forest, which is isolated from others by pastures. The most important species (VI) presented by this gallery forest were: Talauma ovata, Erythrina falcata and Euterpe edulis. Ficus species from the subgenus Urostigma presented a great biomass in spite of its low density. Erythrina falcata was considered one of the species of greater importance, probably associated to the Ficus species at the beginning of the secondary succession, due to the structure of the stem diameters presented. In Erythrina falcata, the isoenzymatic systems of Isocitrate Dehydrogenase, Peroxidase, Phosphoglyco Mutase and Xiquimate Dehydrogenase were analyzed by means of zimograms. The population of 27 individuals of Erythrina falcata was found in Hardy-Weinberg balance, presenting a relatively high allelic diversity. The population of Erythrina falcata was found to be under biological and ecological conditions to start the secondary succession. The high genetic diversity of the Erythrina falcata population could be one of the determinant factors for the success of the colonization of the area. The association of Erythrina falcata with trees of the Ficus genus could have been determinant for the successful beginning of this process of colonization, and the initial association may have functioned as a low diversity system of species, comparable to other flooded forests of Southeastern Brazil.