SELECTION INTENSITIES OF FAMILIES AND CLONES IN POTATO BREEDING Intensidade de seleção de famílias e clones no melhoramento genético da batata

Families selection has not been recommended as a selection method for vegetative propagated species. To verify its utility for potato improvement a series of experiments were carried out under warm temperatures (rainy season). Thirty clonal families originated from heat tolerant parents were evaluated for tuber yield and specific gravity. After obtaining the seedling generation (SG) and the first clonal generation (FCG) individual clones from a further two generations were assessed. Simulations were conducted with different intensities of family selection in SG and FCG and intensities of clonal selection in subsequent generations. The results show that family selection intensities between 50 % and 60 % allowed the greatest gains. Estimates of h2 at the families level were always higher than at the clones level and corroborate for the more effective selection of families in early generations. The selection of families for tuber specific gravity can be made in the early generations (SG and FCG) regardless of the temperature conditions where the individual clones will be selected. The sequential selection of families with intensities of 60 % (SG) and 60 % (FCG) would promote greater efficiency for the selection of clones in second or third clonal generation. In the case of applying stronger selection intensities for a higher efficiency with sequential selection (SG and FCG) weaker intensities should be applied in the SG (60%) and stronger intensity in FCG (40%). Family selection for tuber yield could be practiced in the FCG as long as the selection of clones was not held in contrasting temperature conditions