Leonardo Lopes Bhering

Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV) | UFV · Departamento de Biologia Geral

Genotype‐by‐environment interaction (GEI) is a major concern in tropical maize breeding. Here, we used factor analytic mixed models (FAMM) to study GEI in a tropical maize data set. Our goal was to select high‐performance and stable hybrids using factor analytic selection tools (FAST) derived from FAMM outputs. Because the data set comprised two di...

The objective of this work was to estimate the genetic parameters and to evaluate the genotypic diversity of 12 'Tahiti' acid lime (Citrus latifolia) genotypes grafted onto two rootstocks. The experiment was carried out from July 2017 to January 2019, in the municipality of São Mateus, in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Vegetative (stem diamet...

The optimization of perennial plant breeding necessarily involves the evaluation of multi-harvest and/or multi-site trials. In these situations, modeling covariance structures can elevate accuracy. This study aimed to evaluate different covariance structures for multi-harvest and multi-site trial analyses, using two datasets (D1 and D2). In D1, 25...

An accurate and efficient statistical method for repeated measures analysis and selection of scion/rootstock combinations (SRC) is a fundamental prerequisite for genetic progress in ‘Tahiti’ acid lime breeding. Thus, this work aimed: (i) to evaluate the applicability and efficiency of random regression models in the analysis of repeated measures an...

Popcorn is a food highly appreciated throughout the world, generating billions of dollars annually just in the North American market alone. Even in the face of the historical superiority of American hybrids, which occupy almost 100% of the grain production fields in Brazil, our researchers have been working to develop cultivars that combine importa...

The objective of this work was to evaluate the genetic variability and associations of yield traits of pigeon pea, for indication of this crop for the breeding program in Mozambique. Eleven pigeon pea traits were evaluated in a experimental design with three randomized complete blocks, in the environments of Namapa (I) and Montepuez (II), in 2017/2...

Forest plantations are strong allies in preserving natural resources, providing social and economic benefits. The plantations carried out in the coming years will be vital to meet the growing demand for forest products. To ensure the continuity of genetic progress and the good results achieved with the improvement of forest species, statistical met...

The objective of this work was to estimate the best approach for prediction and establish a network with better predictive power in white oat using methodologies based on regression, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Seventy-eight white oat genotypes were evaluated in 2008 and 2009. Were evaluated without and with fungicide, establishe...

Genotype × environment (GE) interaction can difficult soybean breeding programs to achieve the aim of more productive cultivars. Environment stratification is a way to circumvent this problem. However, multiyear data studies are difficult to work with, because they are, usually, unbalanced. GGE Biplot is an efficient method to find mega-environment...

An accurate and efficient statistical method for genetic evaluation is a key requirement for progress in any breeding program. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the performance of Frequentist and Bayesian inferences for repeated measures analysis in Jatropha curcas breeding. To this end, 730 individuals from 73 half-sib families were evalua...

The burning of fossil fuels contributes to global warming. Using renewable energy sources such as elephant grass biomass mitigates anthropogenic impact on nature. The genetic selection of high-yield elephant grass genotypes is important to increase the use of this forage for energy generation. Unmanned aerial vehicles have been used for data collec...

In cotton crops, the cotton seed yield significantly contributes with the success of any cultivar. However, other traits are considered when an ideotype is pointed out in the selection, such as the fiber quality traits. The aim of this study was to applied genotype by yield*trait (GYT) biplot to a multi-environment trial data of cotton genotypes an...

Clustering techniques are widely adopted in genetic variability assessments. Aiming to understand the genotypes contrasting and complementarity, breeders have used those methodologies to guide them through crosses recommendation or heterotic group’s formation. In multi-environment trials (MET) studies, the clustering analyses are under influence of...

Understanding the genetic diversity and overcoming genotype-by-environment interaction issues is an essential step in breeding programs that aims to improve the performance of desirable traits. This study estimated genetic diversity and applied genotype + genotype-by-environment (GGE) biplot analyses in cotton genotypes. Twelve genotypes were evalu...

Canola is a product of traditional plant breeding techniques to remove from rapeseed the antinutritional components erucic acid. This crop proves to be a promising crop due to the diverse purposes of its oil, especially by its potential for biofuel production. This paper aimed to integrate the information available in the literature and report the...

Although the fruit yield has a core importance in Tahiti acid lime breeding programs, other traits stand out among the quality fruit and vegetative traits as ones that still need to be improved in selection of superior genotypes. Appling efficient tools aiming selection, such as the Bayesian inference, becomes an alternative in perennial crops. Thi...

Genotype x enviroment (GE) interaction can difficult soybean breeding programs to atieve the aim of obtain more productive cultivars. Enviroment stratification is a way to circunvent this problem. This work aimed to gather GGE Biplot graphs of a network of trials unbalance multiyear soybean via matrices of coincidence and networks of enviroment to...

Spatial trends represent an obstacle to genetic evaluation in maize breeding. Spatial analyses can correct spatial trends, which allow for an increase in selective accuracy. The objective of this study was to compare the spatial (SPA) and non-spatial (NSPA) models in diallel multi-environment trial analyses in maize breeding. The trials consisted o...

Tree breeders are prioritizing the increase of the interspecific diversity in the breeding programs due to the pronounced environmental changes, and expansion of the forest frontier to less productive areas. In this scenario, there is a growing interest for species of the genus Corymbia due to their good growth, resistance to biotic and abiotic fac...

As espécies do gênero Corymbia e seus híbridos apresentam alto crescimento e alta densidade da madeira, resistência a doenças e à maioria das pragas e doenças que causam danos às fl orestas de eucalipto. Contudo, a maioria dos genótipos apresenta exsudação de kino. A seleção de genótipos com menor exsudação de kino é uma alternativa viável, porém,...

Fruit breeding programs demand substantial investment for the development and selection of superior geno�types. Thus, statistical methods that allow a reliable genetic evaluation should be preferred. The present study aimed to estimate genetic parameters and genotypic values through the Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm and perform the selection o...

The present study aimed to evaluate the applicability and efficiency of the FAI-BLUP index in the genetic selection of maize hybrids, using 84 maize hybrids that were evaluated for cycle, morphology, and yield traits in four environments. Models accounting for homogeneous and heterogeneous residual variances were tested, and variance components wer...

In multi-environment trials (MET), large networks are assessed for results improvement. However, genotype by environment interaction plays an important role in the selection of the most adaptable and stable genotypes in MET framework. In this study, we tested different residual variances and measure the selection gain of cotton genotypes accounting...

Grain sorghum production has expanded during the off-season when rainfall oscillates and becomes insufficient. Aiming to obtain better adapted cultivars, breeding programs have sought new combinations of hybrids with earliness, high grain yield, and ideal plant height for harvesting. This study aimed to estimate de combining ability of grain sorghu...

Multi-trait best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) is, generally, the most appropriate method to genetic evaluation because it considers the genetic and residual correlations among traits and conduct to higher selection accuracy. Thus, the present study aimed to identify traits correlated to the fiber length via path analysis under multi-trait BLUP...

Combining longitudinal data and statistical models from perennial crops enabled us to estimate the optimum number of measures (harvests), implying accurate discrimination of superior genotypes in those crops. Herein, the goal of this study was to determine the optimum number of harvests based on yield traits and recommend a superior graft/rootstock...

Genome-wide selection (GWS) has been becoming an essential tool in the genetic breeding of long-life species, as it increases the gain per time unit. This study had a hypothesis that GWS is a tool that can decrease the breeding cycle in Jatropha. Our objective was to compare GWS with phenotypic selection in terms of accuracy and efficiency over thr...

Most studies on genomic selection in plant breeding compare different statistical methods of univariate approach. However, multi-trait methodologies should be considered since they allow the simultaneous selection of superior genotypes in several economic traits. Here, the aims were to compare the selection accuracy and efficiency of the multivaria...

For elephant grass breeding for bioenergy purposes, selection should be based on repeated harvests to maximize the selection efficiency. Selecting genotypes with high total dry biomass, associated with high adaptability and stability, is extremely important. Thus, the objective of this study was to estimate the minimum number of harvests required f...

The genotype × environment (G×E) interaction plays an essential role in phenotypic expression and can lead to difficulties in genotype recommendation. Thus, the objectives of this study were: i) propose the Multi-Environment Index Based on Factor Analysis and Ideotype-Design/Markov Chain Monte Carlo (FAI/ MCMC index), and ii) apply it for soybean g...

Multiple-trait model tends to be the best alternative for the analysis of repeated measures, since they consider the genetic and residual correlations between measures and improve the selective accuracy. Thus, the objective of this study was to propose a multiple-trait Bayesian model for repeated measures analysis in Jatropha curcas breeding for bi...

This study assessed the efficiency of Genomic selection (GS) or genome‐wide selection (GWS), based on Regularized Quantile Regression (RQR), in the selection of genotypes to breed autogamous plant populations with oligogenic traits. To this end, simulated data of an F 2 population were used, with traits with different heritability levels (0.10, 0.2...

This book deals with a set of analyzes that can help the student / researcher to analyze the data of their academic and professional research. With theory and application, in a small and didactic example. Along with this presented step by step, it is shown how to proceed with the analysis of the same example in the Rbio software, so that the user i...

Random regression models (RRM) are a powerful tool to evaluate genotypic plasticity over time. However, to date, RRM remains unexplored for the analysis of repeated measures in Jatropha curcas breeding. Thus, the present work aimed to apply the random regression technique and study its possibilities for the analysis of repeated measures in Jatropha...

Fruits of Capsicum chinense, a native species of Amazon Basin, express high levels of bioactive components such as vitamin C and carotenoids; some of them with pronounced pro-vitamin A activity such as β-carotene, which confers high economic potential to this species. The characterization of C. chinense germplasm helps in its management and conserv...

Many tropical trees have high canopies and their leaves are not accessible. Thus, the use of tissue from a more accessible organ (cambium) for DNA extraction may be an alternative for molecular studies. We adapted a feasible methodology for extracting genomic DNA from cambium tissue harvested in the field for the assessment with PCR. We tested thre...

An efficient and informative statistical method to analyze genotype-by-environment interaction (GxE) is needed in maize breeding programs. Thus, the objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of multiple-trait models (MTM), random regression models (RRM), and compound symmetry models (CSM) in the analysis of multi-environment trials (...

The genotype × environment (G×E) interaction plays an essential role in phenotypic expression and can lead to difficulties in genetic selection. Thus, the present study aimed to estimate genetic parameters and to compare different selection strategies in the context of mixed models for soybean breeding. For this, data referring to the evaluation of...

An accurate, efficient and informative statistical method for analyses of genotype × environment (G × E) interactions is a key requirement for progress in any breeding program. Thus, the objective of this study was to quantify individual variation in reaction norms using random regression models fitted through Legendre polynomials in eucalyptus (Eu...

Reaction norms fitted through random regression models (RRM) have been widely used in animal and plant breeding for analyses of genotype × environment (G × E) interaction. However, in annual crops, they remain unexplored. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the applicability and efficiency of RRM fitted through Legendre polynomials as a tool to reco...

Genetic study in maize (Zea mays) germplasm development is an important step to understand the genetic variability and complementarity between heterotic groups, as well as additive and dominance genetic effects. Thus, diallel analyses have been widely adopted with the aim of identifying the best parental lines and the best crosses. In addition, dif...

Jatropha curcas L. is a perennial plant with great potential for biodiesel production. Thus, the aim of this study was to select J. curcas genotypes for bioenergy purpose considering multitrait, multiharvest and effective population size. To this end, a data set with 70 J. curcas families, obtained through controlled crosses, evaluated in a randomi...

In response to the new requirements of the sugar-energy sector, sugarcane breeding programs are addressing the selection of clones for different purposes, e.g., sucrose production, ethanol production for first-generation (1G) and second-generation (2G) biofuels. Consequently, agronomic variables such as fiber content, sucrose content and biomass yi...

The genus Cynodon includes species that have huge potential to produce high-quality fodder, for grazing and hay production. In perennial forage breeding, selection should be performed based on repeated measurements in the same individual over time, which maximizes the selective efficiency. Thus, the objectives of this study were to estimate the coe...

This study aimed to estimate the predicted genetic gains with the simultaneous selection of yield traits and soluble solids content in cherry tomato hybrids. Twenty cherry tomato hybrids were evaluated in hydroponic cultivation in randomized block design with three replicates. The following traits were evaluated: number of clusters per plant, numbe...

Fruits of Capsicum chinense, a native species of Amazon Basin, express high levels of bioactive components such as vitamin C and carotenoids; some of them with pronounced pro-vitamin A activity such as β-carotene, which confers high economic potential to this species. The characterization of C. chinense germplasm helps in its management and conserv...

Photosynthetic efficiency has become the target of several breeding programs since the positive correlation between photosynthetic rate and yield in soybean suggests that the improvement of photosynthetic efficiency may be a promising target for new yield gains. However, studies on combining ability of soybean genotypes for physiological traits are...

Cowpea is a legume of great importance in the Brazilian nutrition, mainly in the Northeast region. Despite the low yield of Brazilian cowpea, the species presents a genetic potential to be explored. Thus, this work aimed to characterize the genetic diversity of cowpea genotypes by agronomic traits and select genotypes for possible crosses by multiv...

This study aimed to evaluate the adaptability and phenotypic stability of cowpea genotypes using a nonlinear regression analysis and multivariate analysis. Experiments were performed at four sites in Brazil using a randomized blocks design with 20 treatments and four replications. The adaptability and stability of genotypes were evaluated by Toler...

The objective of this work was to estimate the general combining ability of partially inbred lines under high and low nitrogen (N) conditions and to select promising lines to obtain high yields for both conditions. Fifty-five partially inbred S1 progenies were evaluated using the top-cross method, where the lines were crossed with two testers. The...

Environmental stratification studies are important for the plant breeding, since they allow to adequately plan the experimental network. The objective of this work was to identify similar environments for cotton cultivation in the Brazilian Cerrado regarding yield and fiber quality. Nineteen field studies were carried out in a randomized complete b...

The goal of this work was to compare the effect of the accuracy and residual variance in genome wide selection using marker selection as well as using the effect of the indirect selection, using simulated and real data. In simulated data was used one sample with 200 individuals with 1,000 molecular markers in F2 population. The real data was obtain...

ABSTRACT An alternative to increase yield without raising the production costs and minimizing the dependence of agricultural inputs is the development of maize genotypes presenting high nitrogen (N) use efficiency under low N level conditions. Thus, the objective of this study was to estimate the specific combining ability of maize top-crosses unde...

Despite being a species with great potential for biodiesel production, little research has been done on the breeding of Jatropha curcas, mainly with respect to its yield across harvests. Thus, the present study was carried out to analyze longitudinal data via multiple-trait Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) for the genetic improvement of Jatro...

The global challenge is to increase food production in a sustainable way, given that most of the energy used comes from fossil fuels, which causes unsustainable damage to the environment, such as the greenhouse gas emissions. Aiming at diversifying the Brazilian energy matrix, the use of biofuels emerged as a promising alternative. In this context,...

The performance of textile processes and the quality of the products depends on the several cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fiber quality traits, such as micronaire index, fiber length, and fiber strength. This research aims to recommend cotton genotypes for the Brazilian Cerrado based on fiber yield and fiber quality traits. Nineteen cotton cultiva...

Selection of hybrid coffee plants coming from crosses between divergent populations is particularly relevant for the success of breeding programs. This study aimed to outline the best selection strategy in a hybrid population of Coffea canephora var. kouilou and robusta by estimating intrapopulation genetic parameters. Twenty full-sib progenies obt...

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) provides ~90% of the world’s textile fibre. The aim of this study was to use the principal additive effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) model under the Bayesian approach to recommend cotton genotypes for the Central-West region of Brazil. Eight trials with upland cotton genotypes were conducted during the 2008–09 h...

Asian soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi – ASR) is one of the major diseases that occur in soybean and causes great damage to commercial crops. Therefore, the goal of this work was to investigate the relationship between biochemical and photosyntetic parameters in soybean with ASR. Two experiments were performed in a randomized complete block with...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192189.].

Cotton provides about 90% of the world textile fiber, and is one of the crops of greater industrial relevance. The objectives of this study were to estimate the inbreeding depressionand the genetic effects involved in the control of the agronomic andfiber quality traits in F1 and F2 generations and to identify promising hybrids for obtaining superi...