Rescue of cocoa national variety: genetic potential of selection

The research focused on fine aroma cocoa is a priority for Ecuador. The objective of this work was to identify stable, high-yielding accessions. The genetic base was based on 2222 cocoa accessions from the germplasm bank of the Tenguel Aroma Cocoa Center -Ecuador. An index was applied for selecting 150 accessions based on yield and health status. A descriptive analysis, principal component analysis by the factor extraction method between the meteorological parameters and the variables evaluated, was used. A multiple regression and stability analysis was also performed using the method of Eberhart & Russell (1966) modified by considering the years as the different environments and multivariate principal component analysis. Variables related to high CV % yield ranged from 93 to 112 %. The highest yields were observed in 2003, 2004 and 2005. The flowering intensity was influenced by rainfall, temperature and relative humidity and thus by the yield of the accessions. The predictor variables for yield were healthy pods, diseased pods and flowering intensity with a correlation of 0.95, 0.33 and 0.07, respectively, and an R2 = 0.899. The following were selected for their stability and average yield per tree 2.1 kg tree-1: L17H38, L33H45, L53H4, L49H4, L41H70, L49H4, L21H56, L13H11, L30H1, L30H46, L42H80, L30H45 and L32H72. The characteristics of the selected accessions constitute a contribution to cocoa breeding programs in Ecuador and other cocoa-producing regions.