Identificação molecular do locus restaurador da macho-fertilidade e tipo de citoplasma em populações de cebola, e adaptabilidade e estabilidade de híbridos de cebola tropical

Abstract

Brazil ranks among the world’s leading producers of onions (Allium cepa L.), a crop of significant economic and social importance, especially for family farming in the Semi-Arid region. The national onion industry faces the challenge of heavy reliance on imported hybrid seeds, which drives up production costs, limits the availability of materials adapted to local soil and climate conditions, and undermines the sector’s technological autonomy. In this context, the development of domestic hybrids adapted to different growing regions is a strategic necessity for the production chain. This study aimed to molecularly characterize onion populations to identify parental lines and evaluate the adaptability and stability of experimental hybrids in the Semi-Arid region. In the molecular stage, mitochondrial and nuclear markers were used in seven populations. The results identified the IPA 10 cultivar as a source of normal cytoplasm (N) and an msms nuclear genotype, validating it as a maintainer line (“B”). The ‘BRS Rio Vale’ and ‘BRS Carrancas’ populations exhibited sterile cytoplasm (S), qualifying them as sources of male-sterile lines (“A”). In the agronomic stage, the commercial yield of 12 experimental hybrids and three controls was evaluated across eight environments in the states of Bahia and Pernambuco. Analysis of variance, linear regression, and AMMI analyses revealed a significant genotype × environment interaction. The hybrids EPCEB20H037 and EHCEB21H0507 stood out with average yields of 40.2 t/ha and 39.9 t/ha, respectively, demonstrating broad adaptability and yield stability. It is concluded that the integration of marker-assisted selection with multi-environmental evaluations enables the development of competitive national hybrids, with the potential to reduce costs and expand technological autonomy in the São Francisco Valley.