ESTIMATES OF GENETIC CORRELATIONS AND CORRELATED RESPONSES TO SELECTION IN CASHEW (ANACARDIUM-OCCIDENTALE L.)

The present study estimates variances and genetic and phenotypic corre lations for five traits in 27 progenies of cashew trees (Anacardium oc cidentale L.). Data were obtained from a trial conducted in 1992 at Pa cajus, Ceara, experimental station of Embrapa Agroindustria Tropical. The characters studied were plant height (PH), North-South and East-We st canopy spreads (NSS, EWS), and primary and secondary branch numbers (PBN, SBN). All genetic and phenotypic correlations presented positiv e and significant values. Selection to increase or decrease the averag e of any one of the five characteristics of cashew plants in the proge nies studied affected the average of the others. The 16-month-old cano py spread can be predicted from NSS or EWS since correlations between them were high. Correlations between PH and SBN were low, indicating t hat there is a good possibility of obtaining smaller plants without ca using drastic reductions in SBN. PK and SBN showed, respectively, the lowest and highest genetic variance estimates relative to the correspo nding population means.