Papaya (Carica papaya L.) S1 family recurrent selection: Opportunities and selection alternatives from the base population

Abstract The existing genetic variability in papaya crop can be explored in segregating populations, through breeding population methods, such as recurrent selection. The paper aims have been to estimate the repeatability coefficients, and select superior individuals from the base population of papaya recurrent selection. Sixteen traits were evaluated in 224 individuals, in three harvest seasons. The repeatability coefficients were estimated by REML/Blup method. The repeatability coefficient magnitudes were high (r > 0.60) for eleven traits, showing the genetic control and average traits stability along successive seasons. The gains with direct selection was two to three times higher compared with the combined selection index, and the direct selection is more indicated for short-term selection, aiming at the per se lines development. However, for the purposes of long-term individual’s selection, it is important to simultaneously utilize combined and direct selection, thus ensuring the favorable alleles sources to important traits. The current paper, it is shown that if on one side recurrent selection is a long-term strategy, on the other side the same offers opportunities to already select superior.