ARTIFICIAL HYBRIDIZATION TEST IN PEANUT

Artificial hybridation is an usual method to obtain genetic variabilit y in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) plant-breading programs. There are, however, some morphological aspects which make it difficult to obtain hydrids. A green house trial was set out in 1990 and 1991 at Centro Na cional de Pesquisa de Algodao, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil, to study th e efficiency of two artificial hybridation techniques in peanuts, a co nventional and a modified one. Genotypes of Valencia and Virginia grou ps were used as progenitors. They were grown in plastic containers in a sand-loam texture soil. The result showed that no significant differ ence was obtained between techniques (chi-square test at 0,5 level). T he modified technique can be recommended, because it requires 50% less manual work and reduces hand injury on flower structures.