SELECTION OF POTATO CLONES FROM BIPARENTA L CROSSES, OPEN-POLLINATED AND SELF POLLINATED FAMILIES

Different types of potato clonal families were evaluated in order to c heck the possibility to perform selection in open pollinated and self pollinated families as compared to biparental crosses. Two experiments were carried out in Maria da Fe and Lavras counties, MG, Brazil. Aver ages of clones from biparental crosses and open pollination were simil ar, showing the possibility of selection in the open pollinated famili es. Genetic variability and heritability among clones from open pollin ated families were of the same magnitude as those obtained from the bi parental clones, allowing similar genetic gains for both types of fami lies. Clones from self pollination presented low probability of succes s with selection. In general, the self pollinated families presented r eductions in their averages of 39% for marketable tuber yield, 29% for number of marketable tubers, 33% for percentage of high graded tubers , 30% for mean weight of high graded tubers and 23% for mean weight of marketable tubers, as compared to the biparental and open pollinated families.