Clonal selection in arracacha breeding

Twenty-nine arracacha clones were evaluated in 2002/2003, at the Horticultural Research Garden of the Federal University of Vicosa. A randomized complete block design with 30 treatments and three replications was used. Each plot contained 75 plants in three 10 m long rows (rows spaced 1 m apart and plants 0.40 m). Six competitive plants were picked eight months after planting. Sprouts were collected from the remaining plants eleven and a half months after planting. Ten quantitative and four qualitative traits were evaluated. Variance analyses showed significance of all but one quantitative trait (non-commercial root weight). Genetic distances were estimated by Mahalanobis' generalized distance and clones grouped by clustering, applied to quantitative traits. Our goal was to identify early high yielding, healthy, and genetically diverging clones. Clones BGH 4550, BGH 5742, and BGH 6425 seemed to be promising future varieties, and 10 clones are interesting for further breeding work.