ESTIMATES OF THE GENETIC PROGRESS OBTAINED BY THE UPLAND RICE BREEDING PROGRAM OF THE STATE OF MINAS-GERAIS

Genetic advances obtained by breeding upland rice in Minas Gerais in t he 1980s were quantified and two methodologies (Vencovsky et al., Anai s do Congresso Nacional de Milho e Sorgo, 16, pp.300-307, 1986 and lin ear regression) of genetic progress estimation compared. Grain yield d ata of comparative trials of cultivars and pure lines of upland rice f or the period 1979/80 to 1988/89 were used. There was a total genetic gain of 698.1 kg/ha by the Vencovsky et al. (op. cit.)method and of 71 3.1+/-125.8 kg/ha by linear regression, giving an avenge annual gain o f 77.6 kg/ha, and of 79.2 kg/ha respectively. Both average gains corre spond to approximately 3.0% per year. Thus the two methods were equiva lent in determining genetic improvement. The magnitude of genetic prog ress estimates indicate that the Minas Gerais upland rice breeding pro gram was efficient during this period.