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Correlações fenotípicas entre caracteres da palmeira Euterpe edulis Mart. e produção de palmito (Phenotypic Correlations between characters of the Palm TreeEuterpe edulis Mart. and Palm Heart Production)

M.L.A. Bovi^I; G. Godoy Jr.^II; L.A. Saes^II

^ISeção de Plantas Tropicais, Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, Caixa Postal 28, 13001 Campinas, SP, Brasil. Send correspondence to M.L.A.B.
^IIEstação Experimental de Ubatuba, Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, Caixa Postal 59, 11680 Ubatuba, SP, Brasil
^IIIEstação Experimental de Pariqueraçu, Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, Caixa Postal 122, 11900 Pariqueraçu, SP, Brasil

ABSTRACT

Some vegetative characters and heart of palm yield of Euterpe edulis Mart. plants were studied in its natural habitat in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The main objective was to identify traits that could estimate yield without destroying the plant, as an aid in superior material evaluation and selection.
Phenotypic correlations were highly significant for all paired comparisons, although partial correlation coefficients were significant only for plant diameter, foliole length and number, when paired with heart of palm weight, diameter and length. Among the characters evaluated, palm trunk diameter, leaf and foliole number and foliole length were responsible for over 80% of the variation presented by heart of palm weight.
The trunk diameter and number of leaves were, among the studied traits, the ones that contributed the most to heart of palm yield, as estimated by its weight, diameter and length. Due to the facility with which they are taken, they should be used for evaluation and selection of superior palms in plant breeding field experiments as well as in heart of palm germplasm collection and prospection.

Keywords: Phenotypic correlations; Euterpe edulis.

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