Genetic progress over 53 years of the peach breeding program of Embrapa: canning genotypes

The peach is a traditional crop in the south of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, where 35 million to 50 million cans of peaches in syrup are produced annually. All the raw materials for the peach canneries come from cultivars originated from the peach breeding program of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa Temperate Agriculture), which started before the establishment of Embrapa at the Experimental Station of Pelotas, then managed by the Ministry of Agriculture. The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic progress in phenological and production traits of canning peach resulting from the peach breeding program of Embrapa Temperate Agriculture over 53 years. We divided the data records considered in the estimation of genetic progress into two periods, 1964-1984 and 1985-2017. The following traits were evaluated: days to maturity, fruit development period, number of fruits, fruit weight, fruit yield, and soluble solids content. Genetic gain was observed for early maturation, shorter fruit development period, and increased fruit yield.

Automated summary

This study analyzed the genetic progress in phenological and production traits of canning peaches resulting from the peach breeding program of Embrapa Temperate Agriculture over a period of 53 years. The results show that there has been genetic gain in early maturation, shorter fruit development period, and increased fruit yield.