DIVERGÊNCIA GENÉTICA NUMA POPULAÇÃO F5 DE MELÃO

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the genetic divergence of a melon population of the Plant Breeding Program from the Federal University of Alagoas. The following quantitative characteristics were evaluated: the fruit weight (FW), the longitudinal fruit (LFL) and transversal fruit (TFL) lengths; the skin (SFT) and the pulp¿s (SPF) thicknesses; and number of seeds (NSF). For the evaluation of the genetic divergence, a multi varied analysis was used by means of the main component method, which graphical dispersion was done from the two first components and from the euclidean distance average standardized, being that the grouping among the similar families done by the Tocher Method. The results suggest genetic divergence among the families, indicated by the two techniques used. The two first main components were able to explain 72.36% of the existing variability, being the TFL and FW variables which contributed more to the divergence. Considerable genetic divergence among the families was verified and that some of these are promises for use in genetic improvement programs.