The aim of this study was to ascertain the association between the REML/BLUP and GGE Biplot methodologies for selection of superior genotypes in regard to adaptability and yield stability for various regions of the Middle North region of Brazil. Sixteen soybean genotypes were evaluated in eight environments during the 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 crop seasons, analyzing the following traits: number of days to maturity, plant height, one hundred seed weight, and grain yield. In this study, the REML/BLUP and the GGE Biplot methods are highly correlated in terms of genotype ranking for selection and recommendation purposes. The genotypes BRASBT13-0528, M8372 IPRO, and BRASBT13-0621 most approximate a hypothetical ideal genotype.

Fava bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) has great potential for the supply of vegetable protein, but its cultivation is still of little relevance when compared to common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), being, in most cases, intercropped with other crops. The preservation of its genetic variability in germplasm banks, as well as the study of its genetic dissimilarity, has been helping in strategic design for improvement of the crop. The objective of this work was to characterize the genetic variability of morphoagronomic characters and to quantify the genetic dissimilarity among Fava bean accessions by multivariate analysis. Eight accessions from the Active Fava Bean Germplasm Bank of the Federal University of Piauí were evaluated through a randomized complete block design, with four replications, based on the number of days to maturation (NDM), mean pod length (CV), mean pod width (LV), mean pod thickness (EV), number of seeds per pod (NSV), weight of one hundred seeds (P100S) and productivity (PROD). Among the traits evaluated, only CV showed no genetic variability among the accessions. The analysis of divergence showed accessions UFPI 799 and UFPI 817 as the most divergent in relation to the others. The grouping method of Tocher and UPGMA allowed the formation of three groups. Singh's method indicated that LV, PROD and P100S contributed the most to the genetic divergence between the evaluated accessions. The accessions UFPI 817 and UFPI 797 can be used in crossings, as they are genetically distant and complementary in their characteristics.

Background: Common bean (Phaseolus vulgarisL.) is a legume whose grain can be stored for months, a common practice among Brazilian growers. Over time, seed coats become darker and harder to cook, traits that are undesirable to consumers, who associate darker-colored beans with greater age. Like commercial pinto and cranberry bean varieties, carioca beans that have darker seeds at harvest time and after storage are subject to decreased market values.Results: The goal of our study was to identify the genetic control associated with lightness of seed coat color at harvest (HL) and with tolerance to post-harvest seed coat darkening (PHD) by a genome-wide association study. For that purpose, a carioca diversity panel previously validated for association mapping studies was used with 138 genotypes and 1,516 high-quality SNPs. The panel was evaluated in two environments using a colorimeter and the CIELAB scale. Shelf storage for 30 days had the most expressive results and the L* (luminosity) parameter led to the greatest discrimination of genotypes. Three QTL were identified for HL, two on chromosome Pv04 and one on Pv10. Regarding PHD, results showed that genetic control differs for L* after 30 days and for the ΔL* (final L*—initial L*); only ΔL* was able to properly express the PHD trait. Four phenotypic classes were proposed, and five QTL were identified through six significant SNPs.Conclusions: Lightness of seed coat color at harvest showed an oligogenic inheritance corroborated by moderate broad-sense heritability and high genotypic correlation among the experiments. Only three QTL were significant for this trait – two were mapped on Pv04 and one on Pv10. Considering the ΔL, six QTL were mapped on four different chromosomes for PHD. The same HL QTL at the beginning of Pv10 was also associated with ΔL* and could be used as a tool in marker-assisted selection. Several candidate genes were identified and may be useful to accelerate the genetic breeding process.