Amazonian Robustas are ten new clones of high yield potential with characteristics typical of the botanical varieties conilon and robusta. With individual registration, the new cultivars were developed to be grown together with other clones, with flexibility of composition of the crops according to the preference of the producer.

Gain from selection is an important criterion in quantifying the efficiency of breeding programs. This study quantified the selection gain estimated under experimental conditions and realized gain achieved in the field, seeking to interpret the efficiency of the Coffea canephora selection. For that purpose, we considered experiments that began in 2004 with directed hybridizations to obtain new hybrid progenies. From a breeding population composed of 288 hybrid individuals, 12 genotypes were selected in experimental conditions from 2005 to 2012, with amplitude in the estimated gains from 127.70 to−19.19%. Those genotypes were evaluated from 2012 to 2018 in clonal tests in four environments of the Western Amazon. The environment that exhibited the greatest correlation between the predicted genetic values and the realized genetic gain observed in the field was the environment of Ouro Preto do Oeste, RO (0.67), the location in which the plants were selected, followed by the environments of Alta FlorestaD´Oeste, RO (0.44), Rio Branco, AC (0.43), and Porto Velho, RO (0.37).Experimental conditions showed that the effect due to dominance deviations was approximately three times greater than the additive effect. Nine clones exhibited higher genetic gains in the experimental conditions and at field, and two clones exhibited lower estimated gains and lower field performance.The clone G17-P7 exhibited high genetic gain under experimental conditions and low field performance. The selection in experimental conditions was positively correlated with plant performance in the field (r=0.55), which allows reduction of the original breeding population to a set of more promising clones to be grown in multiple environments, optimizing time and resources.

CHARACTERIZATION OF BEVERAGE QUALITY IN Coffea canephora Pierre ex A. Froehner

This study aimed to evaluate the beverage quality of Coffea canephora genotypes in different environments of the western Amazon to assist plant selection and new cultivar development. To analyze beverage quality, samples of cherry coffee beans were collected separately for each genotype from clonal competition trials installed in the municipalities of Ouro Preto do Oeste, Alta Floresta do Oeste, Porto Velho, and Ariquemes in Rondônia State and Rio Branco in Acre State (Brazil). The beverage quality was assessed using the Robusta Cupping Protocol, which attribute to each genotype a score in a range from 0 to 100, highlighting nuances. Analysis of variance and principal components using reference points were used to quantify genotype x environment interaction (G x E). The analysis of variance indicated that genotypic and G x E interaction effects were significant (p < 0.01). By using a centroid dispersion method, we could identify four clones of low, eight of specific (to favorable or unfavorable environments), and seven of broad adaptability to the environments. The clones BRS 2314, 11, and 17 had average quality scores above 80 in all environments, with potential for specialty coffee production. The clones BRS 1216, BRS 3220, and BRS 3193 presented unstable behavior, with beans of higher quality in some of the evaluated environments. Such inconsistency in clone behavior is caused by unpredictable changes in plant performance in different environments. Our results indicate that both genotypic (clones) and G x E interaction effects are important for the expression of coffee beverage quality. However, the clones BRS 3213, BRS 3210, and BRS 2299 had less prominent nuances, with lower potential for specialty coffee production.

The experiment was carried out in 2005 in the municipality of Ouro Preto do Oeste at the experimental station of Embrapa Rondônia. 256 genotypes were evaluated, from nine hybridizations among parents of Kouillou (Cpafro 121, Cpafro 194, Cpafro 199 and Emcapa 03) and Robusta (Robusta 1675, Robusta 2258 and Robusta 640). The experimental design was a randomized complete block design, where each cross was represented by a maximum of 32 plants, distributed in four replications. The spacing used was 3.5 x 1.5 m. The average of six harvests and the yield of hulled coffee was 74.90 bags ha-1. Highlight for progeny is Emcapa 03 x Cpafro 194 with average yield of 97.71 bags ha-1. The estimated heritability observed for yield of coffee benefited, was 78.96%. The evaluation of six production seasons was allowed to verify the reliability of the genetic parameters in each set of crops. It was possible to observe that only the evaluation of the 1st and 2nd crops would be enough to estimate the genetic parameters with efficiency, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 79.10%. With the inclusion of the 3rd crop, R2 estimates rose to 81.10%. The individual evaluations (per plant) carried out in 2006/2007, 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 crops showed the superiority of the plants from crosses 7, 8 and 9. In relation to resistance of orange rust, most of the genotypes were resistant to disease, and 75% of the genotypes did not present any type of infection symptoms. Among the susceptible genotypes, there was a variation between 1 and 15% in the degree of lesion intensity. Key words: Coffee breeding, amazon, quantitative genetic.