PERFORMANCE OF GENERATIONS OF UENF/CALIMAN 01 PAPAYA AND CORRELATIONS BETWEEN GERMINATION, VEGETATIVE AND REPRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to characterize the seeds quality and the plant development of F1 and F2 generations of hybrid UENF/Caliman 01 papaya, and the relations between the physic-chemical and physiological quality of seeds, vegetative and reproductive development of plants in the field for 360 days, and fruit quality. The relative contribution (Cr %) to the genetic divergence for each characteristic was estimated. For those with higher importance for each group (Cr = 25%), the Pearson correlation and the canonical correlation analysis were applied. The F1 seeds showed higher physic-chemical and physiological quality, with greater length (0.55 cm), sugar and lipid levels (5.13 and 11.58 mg g-1, respectively), germination and normal seedlings percentages (94 and 98.31%, respectively). The F2 plants showed higher stem diameter (81.08 mm), fruits insertion height (184.8 cm) and fruits number (11.73). It was observed that higher levels of lipid in the seeds were associated with lower fruits number. Lower levels of sugar and lipid of the seeds and lower speed germination index were associated with lower survival. Thus, seed quality is associated with survival of hybrid UENF/Caliman 01 papaya plants in the field, but it does not have relation with the vegetative and reproductive development of plants.