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A severidade da mancha-marrom de alternária nos pomares brasileiros de tangerinas tem causado sérias preocupações aos citricultores, devido aos prejuízos em plantios comerciais de variedades suscetíveis, como a tangerina Ponkan e o tangor Murcott. Para avaliar a resposta de diferentes genótipos ao fungo, foram realizadas inoculações de Alternaria alternata in vitro e in vivo, em 54 diferentes genótipos de tangerinas e seus híbridos, selecionados no Banco Ativo de Germoplasma de Citros do Centro APTA Citros Sylvio Moreira, do Instituto Agronômico, em Cordeirópolis-SP, visando a encontrar variedades resistentes. Para isso, inicialmente, testes de patogenicidade foram realizados com dez isolados de A. alternata para a seleção dos mais agressivos. Posteriormente, foram realizadas inoculações em folhas destacadas e em plântulas e, aos dois (in vitro) e três (in vivo) dias após, fez-se a contagem do número de lesões/folha e a estimativa da severidade da doença com auxílio de escala diagramática (in vivo). A maior parte dos genótipos apresentou sintomas da doença, porém com diferentes graus de suscetibilidade. Genótipos como a tangerina Sul da África e o tangelo Orlando foram os mais suscetíveis. Por outro lado, o grupo das satsumas e mexericas, assim como algumas tangerinas mostraram-se resistentes, indicando novas opções para a citricultura nacional.The confirmation of a new disease in the Brazilian tangerine orchards, the alternaria brown spot, has been concerning citrus growers because of the serious damages to commercial crops of susceptible varieties, such as Ponkan tangerine and Murcott tangor. In this research, in vitro and in vivo inoculations of Alternaria alternata fungus were held in 54 different varieties of the tangerine group selected from the Citrus Germoplasm Bank of Centro APTA Citros Sylvio Moreira, Instituto Agronomico, Cordeirópolis, State of São Paulo, Brazil, aiming to find varieties with more resistance. First, a pathogenicity test with ten different A. alternata isolates was made to select the most aggressive one. After this, inoculations in detached leaves and seedlings were held and, approximately two (in vitro) and three (in vivo) days after, the number of lesions in each leaf was counted, and the disease severity estimated with diagrammatic scale help (in vivo). More than a half of varieties showed symptoms of the disease, however with different levels of susceptibility. Varieties like South African tangerine and Orlando tangelo were the most susceptible; on the other hand the satsumas and willow leaf group and some tangerines, like Thomas and Fremont, showed resistance, indicating new options to the brazilian citriculture.

Tahiti lime is one of the most exported fruits in Brazil, and the state of São Paulo accounts for more than half of the country’s fruit production, and drought in the region is a growing concern as rainfall distribution has become increasingly unpredictable. Therefore, identifying the best varieties and management strategies for citrus groves has become a subject of increasing research. This experiment was conducted at the “Sylvio Moreira” Citrus Center, Brazil; the experiment focused on different planting and mulching practices and scion-rootstock combinations. Two planting/management types were tested: (i) conventional tillage – CT (no mulch in the citrus row) and no-tillage – NT (mulch maintained in the citrus row), using Urochloa ruziziensis as an intercrop. Six grafts x rootstocks were tested: Tahiti acid IACC 5, IAC 10, and BRS IAC EECB Ponta Firme grafted onto two dwarf rootstocks: trifoliate orange IAC 718 Flying Dragon and citrandarin IAC 3152 Itajobi. Over three harvests (2022–2024), this study evaluated foliar nutrition, fruit quality, root development, water potential, gas exchange, water deficit biomarkers, and overall yield. No-tillage significantly improved vital performance indicators compared to conventional tillage. Plants managed with NT exhibited superior root development, greater water uptake, and greater leaf water potential. They also showed greater photosynthetic efficiency, leading to higher yields and improved fruit quality, particularly in juice yield and soluble solids/acidity ratio. The IAC 3152 Itajobi rootstock demonstrated remarkable resilience to drought stress, outperforming Flying Dragon in root development and physiological metrics. NT promoted healthier root systems and more robust plant growth. In contrast, conventional tillage led to poorer root growth, lower nutrient uptake, and increased disease susceptibility due to soil exposure and reduced water infiltration. Despite these challenges, 3,152 rootstock maintained active physiological responses such as gas exchange and/or water potential, especially with the Firm Tip graft. In conclusion, the integration of dwarf rootstocks with NT practices offers a viable strategy to increase the sustainability and productivity. This study highlights the importance of selecting appropriate scion-rootstock combinations and adopting sustainable management practices to improve resilience to environmental stress and optimize fruit yield and quality.

Mandarin fruits with good physicochemical quality are desired for the fresh fruit market. The ease of crosses among citrus taxa has been used to expand genetic variability and select new varieties for different fruit markets. With the aim of selecting new commercial varieties, eleven hybrids obtained from the cross between Murcott tangor and Ponkan mandarin were grafted on Rangpur lime rootstock and evaluated for genetic and phenotypical characteristics. It was observed that there are significant differences in the fruit shape, content, and organoleptic characteristics in juice and differential responses to Alternaria alternate, the causal agent of the Alternaria brown spot (ABS) disease. The phenotypic and molecular characterization showed two groups of hybrids, those that resemble Ponkan and others with characteristics closer to the parental Murcott. There are significant differences in the period of fruit maturation among the hybrids and their parents. Considering the parents stand out as the main commercial varieties in the Brazilian mandarin fresh fruit market, these new hybrids have great potential for commercial acceptance and could be an excellent option to extend the period of supply of mandarins. Genetic and phenotypical information will be fundamental for the registration and/or protection of new varieties, which are essential steps that precede the commercial release to the producer.

Sour rot, caused by Geotrichum citri-aurantii, is a significant post-harvest disease in citrus, resulting in economic losses due to the lack of effective fungicides. This study investigates the antifungal activity of citrus essential oils in controlling sour rot in Tahiti acid lime fruits. Essential oils were extracted via hydrodistillation with chemical composition analyzed by CG-MS and tested in vitro and in vivo. In vitro assays evaluated mycelial growth inhibition at 2 to 32 µL mL−1 concentrations. In vivo trials involved preventive and curative treatments on artificially inoculated fruits stored at 25 °C ± 2, and the results showed that Pera IAC sweet orange oil, at 32 µL mL−1, reduced disease severity by 96% in curative treatments. In contrast, Late IAC 585 willowleaf mandarin oil demonstrated moderate inhibition (44%) at the highest concentration in vitro. The oils did not affect key fruit quality parameters such as juice yield and total soluble solids. These findings suggest that citrus essential oils could be natural alternatives to synthetic fungicides for post-harvest sour rot management, combining effectiveness with maintaining fruit quality.

Alternaria brown spot (ABS) is a disease caused by the fungus A. alternata f. sp. citri, which results in lesions on the fruits, leaves, and branches of several mandarin varieties and their hybrids. Due to the high cost of fungicide application, alternative methods for controlling ABS need to be studied. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the use of essential oils (EOs) from different mandarin varieties to mitigate the effects of ABS. The inhibitory effect of different concentrations (1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 μL·mL−1) of the EOs of Fremont IAC 543 mandarin, IAC 2019Maria mandarin, Murcott IAC 221 tangor, and Late IAC 855 willowleaf on the in vitro mycelial growth of the fungus A. alternata was evaluated. Additionally, the curative and preventive effects of these EOs on the ABS symptoms in detached leaves of Murcott IAC 221 tangor were also assessed. The EO of IAC 2019 Maria mandarin induced less mycelial growth, and consequently, a greater inhibition of the growth of the fungus A. alternata at a concentration of 16 μL·mL−1. This EO was more effective for control than the other oils tested. In the detached leaf experiment, both the curative and preventive treatments at a concentration of 16 μL·mL−1 showed lower values of disease severity.

Mandarins occupy the third group among citrus produced in Brazil. Primarily aimed at the fresh fruit market, commercial orchards have suffered significant production losses due to the high incidence of diseases, such as the alternaria brown spot (ABS) and huanglongbing (HLB). The fact that 80% of the orchards are composed of two varieties, Ponkan mandarin and Murcott tangor, which are highly susceptible to both diseases, demands intensive chemical control of the diseases in the field, which has resulted in a significant increase in production costs and a negative environmental impact. A total of one hundred and seventy-three mandarin accessions, including several species and hybrids belonging to the Collections of the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC), were evaluated in the field in an endemic location for the diseases. Evaluations of the incidence and severity of the diseases showed a range of genotypes tolerant to ABS that could replace the current commercial varieties, mainly within the clementine and willow leaf mandarin groups. Although, with differences in incidence and susceptibility to HLB, there are no tolerant varieties to this disease, which significantly impacts the loss of fruit quality.

Citrus leprosis (CL) is the main viral disease affecting the Brazilian citriculture. Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) trees affected by CL were identified in small orchards in Southern Brazil. Rod-like particles of 40 × 100 nm and electron lucent viroplasm were observed in the nucleus of infected cells in symptomatic tissues. RNA extracts from three plants, which proved negative by RT-PCR for known CL-causing viruses, were analyzed by high throughput sequencing and Sanger sequencing after RT-PCR. The genomes of bi-segmented ss(−)RNA viruses, with ORFs in a typical organization of members of the genus Dichorhavirus, were recovered. These genomes shared 98–99% nt sequence identity among them but Brevipalpus phoenicis sensu stricto. In CiBSV-infected citrus plants, B. papayensis and B. azores were found, but the virus could only be transmitted to Arabidopsis plants by B. azores. The study provides the first evidence of the role of B. azores as a viral vector and supports the assignment of CiBSV to the tentative new species Dichorhavirus australis.

Alternaria brown spot, or ABS (Alternaria alternata), is the most prevalent fungal disease of tangerines in the world. Field observations have revealed ABS lesions on leaves wounded by the citrus leaf miner (CLM). Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the relationship between CLM and ABS. Leaves from young Murcott tangor plants and detached leaves from 16 different varieties of tangerines with and without lesions caused by CLM were inoculated with A. alternata. The symptoms of the plants were subsequently quantified by counting the number of lesions, and the lesion area was estimated using a diagrammatic scale. The presence of CLM damage aggravates the severity of Alternaria alternata fungus infections in susceptible tangerine varieties.

ABSTRACT Alternaria brown spot (ABS) disease is caused by the fungus of Alternaria alternata f. sp. citri, which causes injury in leaves, branches and fruits of citrus. The action of the pathogen is directly related to the presence of toxin receptors in susceptible genotypes. The objective of this study was to characterize a population of citrus hybrids obtained from controlled crosses between Pêra de Abril sweet orange and the hybrid of Murcott tangor x Pêra sweet orange (TM x LP 163) for response to ABS through the in vitro inoculation of fungal spores in young detached leaves. The fungus was isolated from the lesions of Murcott tangor fruits that exhibited ABS symptoms. Two hundred thirty-five hybrids were evaluated, and 70 (30%) showed different levels of disease symptoms on detached leaves after 72 hours of inoculation with the fungus, and 165 (70%) were asymptomatic. The frequency of segregation observed (165R:70S) and high level of heritability (h2g = 0.91) suggest that few genes may be involved in controlling the inheritance of ABS resistance in citrus.

Desde 1997, o Centro APTA Citros Sylvio Moreira/IAC conduz um amplo programa de melhoramento genético de citros via cruzamentos dirigidos. Destes cruzamentos, alguns híbridos de tangerina com laranja vêm sendo selecionados para qualidade de fruta e potenciais novas variedades. Com isso, frutos de um híbrido entre tangor Murcott (TM) e laranja Pera (LP), denominado TMxLP 290, foram submetidos a análises físico-químicas e teste sensorial de aceitabilidade, a fim de avaliar a aceitação de tal variedade pelo mercado consumidor. Foram analisados os parâmetros físico-químicos: sólidos solúveis, acidez total titulável, ratio, rendimento de suco, índice de cor, número de sementes e massa do fruto. Aliado a essas análises, realizou-se o teste sensorial de aceitação com 50 provadores não treinados, que avaliaram a aceitabilidade do fruto e do suco do híbrido TMxLP 290, com o auxílio de uma escala hedônica de nove pontos. As amostras de suco e de fruto foram servidas em copos e pratos descartáveis, respectivamente, à temperatura ambiente e na presença de água potável para lavar o palato entre a degustação de uma amostra e outra. Tais avaliações permitiram constatar que as amostras processadas (suco) e in natura (fruto) apresentaram 84% e 81% de aprovação, respectivamente, evidenciando boa aceitação pelos provadores. Contudo, a intenção de compra por parte do consumidor foi excelente, sendo que 70% dos provadores comprariam o suco e 88% comprariam o fruto. Dessa forma, conclui-se que o híbrido TMxLP 290 é um produto com potencial para atender às expectativas do mercado consumidor.

In countries that supply the international market with fresh citrus fruits, there is a great concern about studying the effects of possible crosses between varieties, so that the desirable characteristics, such as the low number of seeds, or even the lack of them, are not altered. Thus, the present study aimed at evaluating the influence of pollination by other citrus varieties in the formation of seeds, in fruits of the Nules clementine seedless variety. Controlled pollinations were performed in 2007 and 2008, with pollen from the sweet orange varieties Pêra, Valência and Natal; Ortanique and Murcott tangors; Nova tangelo; and Ponkan mandarin. The formation of seeds from self-pollination was also evaluated in flowers of Nules clementine. The harvested fruits were evaluated for seeds number, fruit mass (g), transversal and longitudinal diameters (cm). Compatibility was observed for all the varieties evaluated and cross-pollination promoted the formation of seeds. Fruits from the cross-pollination of Nules clementine presented higher size and mass than the ones originated from self-pollination. Isolated flowers of Nules clementine (self-pollinated) produced seedless fruits, suggesting the need of this variety for isolation, in order to obtain seedless fruits.

The objective of this work was to confirm the hybrids obtained in plants originated from the crossing between the mandarins Citrus deliciosa 'Montenegrina' and C. nobilis 'King', and to estimate the genetic similarity among hybrids, and between each hybrid and its parents. Twenty‑three pairs of microsatellite primers were tested. Fourteen of these pairs showed polymorphic bands between parents. Primers CCSM 129 and CCSME 52 were sufficient to identify the 12 nucellar clones observed in the studied population. Genetic similarity analysis of the population (hybrids and parents) showed 0.56 average similarity. Besides the 12 clones of 'Montenegrina' identified, 25 hybrids were found of which D18, C32, D06, C05 and D09 are the more similar to 'Montenegrina'.

Although the citriculture is one of the most important economic activities in Brazil, it is based on a small number of varieties. This fact has contributed for the vulnerability of the culture regarding the phytosanitary problems. A higher number of varieties/genotypes with potential for commercial growing, either for the industry or fresh market, has been one of the main objectives of citrus breeding programs. The genetic breeding of citrus has improved, in the last decades, due to the possibility of an association between biotechnological tools and classical methods of breeding. The use of molecular markers for early selection of zygotic seedlings from controlled crosses resulted in the possibility of selection of a high number of new combination and, as a consequence, the establishment of a great number of hybrids in field experiments. The faster new tools are incorporated in the program, the faster is possibility to reach new genotypes that can be tested as a new variety. Good traits should be kept or incorporate, whereas bad traits have to be excluded or minimized in the new genotype. Scion and rootstock can not be considered separately, and graft compatibility, fruit quality and productivity are essential traits to be evaluated in the last stages of the program. The mapping of QTLs has favored breeding programs of several perennial species and in citrus it was possible to map several characteristics with qualitative and quantitative inheritance. The existence of linkage maps and QTLs already mapped, the development of EST and BAC library and the sequencing of the Citrus complete genome altogether make very demanding and urgent the exploration of such data to launch a wider genetic study of citrus. The rising of information on genome of several organisms has opened new approaches looking for integration between breeding, genetic and genome. Genome assisted selection (GAS) involves more than gene or complete genome sequencing and is becoming an import support in breeding programs of annual and perennial species. An huge information amount can be derivate from genome analysis. The use and benefit of such informations will depend on the genetic basis of the breeding program.

Os citros apresentam uma taxonomia muito complexa, principalmente com relação ao número de espécies que constituem o gênero Citrus e os gêneros afins. Genótipos classificados como espécies podem ter sido originados por hibridação interespecífica e preservados por meio da embrionia nucelar. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar uma população de tangerineiras híbridas oriundas do cruzamento das tangerineiras 'Clementina Fina' (Citrus clementina Hort. ex Tan.), genitor feminino, e 'Montenegrina' (Citrus deliciosa Ten.), genitor masculino, utilizando marcadores do tipo microssatélites (SSR). Com 12 pares de primers, foi possível diferenciar 93 acessos do estudo e agrupar a F1 em indivíduos mais próximos do genitor feminino e do genitor masculino. O PIC (Conteúdo de Informação de Polimorfismo) dos primers variou de 0,27 a 0,65. Toda a progênie do cruzamento entre 'Clementina Fina' e 'Montenegrina' analisada neste estudo é híbrida, e os SSRs foram eficientes para identificar híbridos com maior similaridade genética em relação aos genitores, mostrando a existência de variabilidade genética entre as plantas da população estudada.Citrus have a very complex taxonomy, especially considering the number of species included in genus Citrus and related genera. What is classified as a species may have originated by interespecific hybridization and preserved through nucellar embryony. This research aimed to characterize a population of hybrid tangerines, originated from the cross of 'Clementina Fina' (Citrus clementina Hort. ex Tan.) as female and 'Montenegrina' (Citrus deliciosa Ten.) as male parents, using microsatellite molecular makers. With 12 pairs of primers it was possible to differentiate 93 of the studied accessions and to group F1 individuals nearer to the male or to the female parent. The primers PIC (Polymorphism Information Content) ranged from 0.27 to 0.65. All the analyzed progeny between 'Clementina Fina' and 'Montenegrina' is hybrid, where SSR were efficient in identifying hybrids more similar to the genitors, showing genetic variability among plants of the studied population.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi buscar novas fontes de resistência à leprose-dos-citros, no Banco Ativo de Germoplasma do Centro APTA Citros Sylvio Moreira, Instituto Agronômico, em Cordeirópolis, SP. Foram utilizadas plantas obtidas por sementes de 26 acessos, infectadas com o vírus da leprose-dos-citros (Citrus leprosis virus - CiLV), por meio do seu vetor Brevipalpus phoenicis. O aparecimento de lesões, a partir de 21 dias após a inoculação, foi observado em 11 dos genótipos testados (42,3%). Quinze espécies, entre elas Citrus pennivesiculata e C. celebica, comportaram-se como altamente resistentes, enquanto outras, como C. keraji, foram mais suscetíveis que o padrão C. sinensis. Os dados mostraram grande variação de respostas de Citrus spp. à leprose, com elevado número de espécies resisentes, que podem ser utilizadas como fonte de resistência à doença em programas de melhoramento.The objective of this work was to prospect for new sources of resistance to leprosis in the Citrus Germplasm Bank of Centro APTA Citros Sylvio Moreira, Instituto Agronômico, in Cordeirópolis, SP, Brazil. Plants obtained through seeds from 26 citrus accessions were mite-infected with Citrus leprosis virus (CiLV). Typical lesions started to appear in 11 genotypes (42.3% of the tested accessions) 21 days after inoculation. Fifteen species, among them Citrus pennivesiculata and C. celebica, behaved as highly resistant, while other genotypes, as C. keraji, were more susceptible than the standard C. sinensis. The data showed a wide variation in the response of Citrus spp. to leprosis, with a large number of resistant species, wich can be used as source of resistance to this disease, in breeding programs.

Nearly 65,000 citrus EST (Expressed Sequence Tags) have been investigated using the CitEST project database. Microsatellites were investigated in the unigene sequences from Citrus spp. and Poncirus trifoliata. From these sequences, approximately 35% of the non-redundant ESTs contained SSRs. The frequencies of different SSR motifs were similar between Citrus spp and trifoliate orange. In general, mononucleotide repeats appeared to be the most abundant SSRs in the CitEST database, but we also identify di-, tri-, tetra-, penta- and hexanucleotide repeats. The AG/CT and AAG/CTT were the most common dinucleotide and trinucleotide motifs, with frequencies of 54.4% and 25.2%, respectively. Primer sequences flanking SSR motifs were successfully designed and synthesized. After in silico polymorphism analysis, a subset of sixty-eight primers was validated in different Citrus spp. and Poncirus trifoliata. PCR-amplification revealed polymorphism in citrus with all tested primer pairs and showed the potential of these markers for linkage mapping. Our study showed that the CitEST database can be exploited for the development of SSR markers that can amplify Citrus spp. and related genus for comparative mapping and other genetic analyses.

Leprosis, caused by Citrus leprosis virus, cytoplasmic type (CiLV-C), is the main viral disease in the Brazilian citrus industry. This occurs because of the widespread source of inoculum and the year-round presence of the vector, the tenuipalpid mite Brevipalpus phoenicis, in citrus plants. In addition, while some Citrus species are resistant to CiLV-C, C. sinensis, the main cultivated species in the country, is extremely susceptible to the disease. The main objective of this work was to identify genes in C. sinensis cv. Pêra plants that were differentially expressed after the host was challenged with CiLV-C. In order to accomplish that, cDNA libraries were constructed from healthy and CiLV-inoculated sweet orange leaves. Two hundred and fifty-four genes were found to differ significantly in terms of expression, with 193 of them induced and 61 repressed after inoculation. Here we discuss the possible roles of a sub-set of these genes involved in metabolism, energy, signaling and cell rescue, defense and virulence, and indicate which kind of response may take place in the initial steps of the disease. Although the symptoms induced by CiLV-C in its compatible interaction with sweet orange resemble those of hypersensitive response (HR) in incompatible interactions, our data indicate that, apparently, the manifestation of leprosis symptoms should not be considered HR.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a diversidade genética em uma população de 148 híbridos de tangor 'Murcott' (Citrus reticulata Blanco x C. sinensis L. Osbeck) e laranja 'Pêra' (C. sinensis L. Osbeck) obtidos por polinização controlada, pelo uso de marcadores fAFLP e RAPD. Marcadores polimórficos (416 marcadores fAFLP e 33 RAPD) foram utilizados para avaliar a similaridade genética entre os híbridos, calculada com o coeficiente Jaccard pelo método UPGMA. A consistência de cada agrupamento foi determinada pelo programa BOOD. Houve alta similaridade genética entre os parentais. A laranja 'Pêra' apresentou maior número (132) de loci em heterozigose em relação ao tangor 'Murcott' (105), corroborando a teoria de origem híbrida para a laranja-doce. Observaram-se dois grupos distintos de plantas, e um deles abrangeu 80% dos híbridos com maior similaridade com a laranja 'Pêra'. A análise bootstrap não revelou consistência estatística entre esses grupos. Marcadores fAFLP são mais eficientes na avaliação do polimorfismo, sendo indicados para seleção de indivíduos híbridos mais próximos a um dos parentais.The objective of this work was to evaluate the genetic diversity in a population of 148 hybrids of 'Murcott' tangor (Citrus reticulata Blanco x C. sinensis L. Osbeck) and 'Pêra' sweet orange (C. sinensis L. Osbeck), obtained by controlled polination, using fAFLP and RAPD markers. Polymorphic markers (416 fAFLP and 33 RAPD markers) were used to evaluate genetic similarity among the hybrids, calculated by the coefficient of Jaccard, using the UPGMA method. The consistency of each group was determined by software BOOD. There was high genetic similarity within the parents. 'Pêra' sweet orange had a higher number of loci in heterozygosis (132) compared to 'Murcott' tangor (105), supporting the theory of hybrid origin for sweet oranges. Two distinct groups of plants were observed: one group had 80% of the hybrids that displayed higher genetic similarity with 'Pêra' sweet orange. The bootstrap analysis did not show consistence between the groups. The fAFLP markers are more efficient to obtain polymorphism than RAPDs and are more suitable to select hybrids closer to the parents.

Em programas de melhoramento de citros, a caracterização adequada dos recursos genéticos disponíveis é de grande importância, principalmente devido às características biológicas da cultura, como a heterozigosidade, a embrionia nucelar e o longo ciclo reprodutivo. A facilidade com que ocorrem hibridações (interespecíficas e intergenéricas) e a embrionia nucelar favoreceram a formação e a preservação de novas combinações, classificadas como espécies. Neste estudo, marcadores RAPDs foram utilizados para analisar 15 acessos de Citrus spp., sendo quatro variedades de laranjeiras doce (C. sinensis Osbeck), quatro tangerineiras (C. reticulata Blanco, C. nobilis Loureiro, C. sunki Loureiro e C. deliciosa Tenore), uma laranjeira azeda (C. aurantium L.), um pomeleiro (C. paradisi Macf.), uma torangeira (C. grandis Osbeck), uma cidreira (C. medica L.), uma limeira ácida (C. latifolia) e dois híbridos (Citrus clementina T. x (C. tangerina T. x C. paradisi Macf.)). Doze sequências iniciadoras aleatórias foram utilizadas para estudar os 15 genótipos, encontrando-se um grau de similaridade mínimio de 0,81 ("Simple Matching") entre as tangerineiras. Os menores graus de similaridade foram encontrados entre as espécies de Citrus menos aparentadas (C. medica, C. grandis e C. latifolia). As quatro cultivares de laranjeiras doces não puderam ser diferenciadas pelos marcadores RAPD utilizados, apresentando similaridade máxima.

The randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique was used to distinguish nucellar and zygotic seedlings resulting from crosses between the ‘Montenegrina’ (Citrus deliciosa Tenore) and‘ King’ (C. nobilis Loureiro) tangerines. The aim of the present study was to develop tangerine varieties with a reduced number of seeds and organoleptic characteristics similar to the ‘Montenegrina’ tangerine. Embryos were isolated from seeds, cultivated in vitro, and acclimated in a greenhouse. Four random primers were used to identify 54 plants of sexual origin from a total of 202 individuals. The degree of polymorphism of each primer was reflected in the number of zygotic plants obtained per primer. Cluster analysis of parents and progeny separated the individuals into distinct groups with a maximum genetic dissimilarity of 20%.A técnica RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) foi utilizada para distinguir plântulas nucelares e zigóticas resultantes do cruzamento entre as tangerineiras ‘Montenegrina’ (Citrus deliciosa Tenore) e ‘King’ (C. nobilis Loureiro). Este cruzamento foi realizado objetivando a obtenção de variedades de tangerineiras com características organolépticas de fruto semelhantes à tangerina ‘Montenegrina’ e menor número de sementes. Embriões foram isolados das sementes e cultivados in vitro e aclimatizados em casa de vegetação. Utilizando-se de 4 primers de seqüência randômica foram identificadas 54 plantas de origem sexual de um total de 202 indivíduos. O grau de polimorfismo de cada primer refletiu no número de plantas zigóticas obtidas por primer, sendo o total de zigóticos identificados pela soma das informações geradas pelos 4 primers. Análise de agrupamento com os parentais e a progênie separou os indivíduos em grupos distintos com uma dissimilaridade genética máxima de 20%.