Bayesian Inference of Genetic Parameters for Survival, Flowering, Fruit Set, and Ripening in a Germplasm Collection of Chilean Strawberry Using Threshold Models

Abstract

Fragaria chiloensis has a fruit with an excellent organoleptic quality and it is one of the parents of the commercially cultivated strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa), which supports the importance of characterization available germplasm to support further breeding. A genetic evaluation using a Bayesian analysis of genetic parameters for survival, flowering, fruit set, and ripening was carried out in 8 domesticated and 55 wild clones, covering most of the natural geographic range of this species in Chile. The Bayesian approach was performed using the Gibbs sampling algorithm. Threshold models were fitted to phenotypic data, as these traits were treated as binary variables. Plant survival rates in seasons 2013 and 2014 ranged from 0% to 85%. According to the Bayesian analysis, the studied traits were found to be weak to moderately heritable ranging from broad-sense heritability () = 14% (survival) to = 40% (fruit set). Survival and fruit set had the lowest (17.9%) and highest (34.9%) clonal genetic gain, which concurs with the lowest and highest values of , respectively. The results of this preliminary study confirms the potential for selective breeding of F. chiloensis, given that five clones, including domesticated and wild, were simultaneously selected for all traits studied.