Multi-trait selection for nutritional and physiological quality of cacao genotypes in irrigated and non-irrigated environments.

ABSTRACT: Water is a scarce, strategic resource and the most important input for economic development, especially in agricultural countries such as Brazil. Cocoa production is directly related to water availability, and, as climate changes, selecting drought-tolerant genotypes is vital to keep cacao crops sustainable. Here, we evaluated cacao genotypes under irrigated and water-stressed conditions and selected drought-tolerant ones based on nutritional and physiological traits. Thirty-nine genotypes were monitored for three years for agronomic traits and higher fruit yield. After this evaluation, the 18 most promising genotypes were evaluated in a randomized block design, under a 2 (with and without irrigation)  ×  18 (genotypes) factorial arrangement, with three replicates and five plants per plot.

SUBMITTER: Araujo MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11344134 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature