IMPORTANCE OF CHARACTERISTICS IN WHITE AÇAÍ (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) PROGENIES BY MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS

The açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) has an ethno-variety white characterized by the absence of anthocyanin in its epicarp, differing from violet açai. White ethno-variety is under strong anthropic pressure, which can lead to genetic erosion. Studies with white açaí that allow the selection of possible cultivars to stimulate their cultivation are scarce. Therefore, this work aimed to verify which characteristics best discriminate selected progenies of white açaí. The experiment contains 52 progenies installed, in a completely randomized design, with ten replications of one plant per plot in a lowland area belonging to Embrapa Amazônia Oriental. The characteristics evaluated were total bunch eight (PTC) in kilogram; fruit weight per bunch (PFC) in kilogram; fruit yield per bunch (RFC) in %; one hundred fruit weight (PCF) in grams; rachillas number per bunch (NRC); and rachilla length in the bunch (CRC), in centimeter. The conclusions are that there exists a correlation between the characteristics in different intensities through multivariate analysis; the Box Plot indicates that the plants respond to the annual water quantity specifically in the characteristics PTC, CRC, and PFC; for the ADC, the characteristics with the greatest contribution to the variance are PTC, CRC and PFC, being similar for the ACP mainly in the PTC and PFC characteristics; by the canonical Biplot the characteristics PTC, PFC, CRC and NRC are preferentially evaluated, discarding RFC and PCF, reducing the effort to be effective. El açaí (Euterpe olearecea Mart.) tiene una etnovariedad blanca caracterizada por la ausencia de antocianina en su epicarpio, a diferencia del açaí violeta. La etnovariedad blanca se encuentra bajo fuerte presión antrópica, lo que puede generar erosión genética. Son escasos los estudios con açaí blanco que permitan la selección de posibles cultivares para estimular su cultivo. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de este trabajo fue verificar qué características discriminan mejor las progenies seleccionadas de açaí blanco. El experimento contiene 52 progenies, en un diseño completamente al azar, diez repeticiones de una planta por parcela en un área de llanura inundable perteneciente a Embrapa Amazônia Oriental. Las características evaluadas fueron peso total del racimo (PTC) en kilogramos; peso de fruto por racimo (PFC) en kilogramos; rendimiento de fruto por racimo (RFC) en %; peso de cien frutos (PCF) en gramos; número de rachillas por racimo (NRC); y longitud de la raqu