West Indian Cherry parental genotype selection based on multivariate genetic divergence

The objective of this study was to evaluate genotypes toward the identifica tion of superior West Indian Cherry (Malpighia emarginata L.) parents that produce high-performing progenies. Parents clones were evaluated in a compl etely randomized design with three replications and each plot consisted of three plants. Fourteen genotypes of West Indian Cherry were characterized i n Londrina, PR, Brazil. Nine quantitative characters of bigger agronomic in terest were used for determination of genetic distance and identification o f similar groups among the genotypes. The grouping by the method, based on Mahalanobis generalized distance, made it possible to organize the 14 genot ypes in three groups. The genetic divergence based on a key agronomic chara cter (level of vitamin C) allowed to recommend the cross as of the followin g genotypes: amarela mole (group III) with genotypes PR AM, N000 18, PR 17, PR 16, Eclipse, AM 22 and Dominga all of them group I.