In order to select parental lines for the peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) breeding program, twenty three lines of the Instituto Agronômico peanut collection, as well as cultivars Tatuí and Tatu, were evaluated for pod yield, reactions to foliar diseases, seed oil content and other plant characters. The evaluations were carried out during the spring-summer growing seasons of 1985 and 1986 at the Centro Experimental de Campinas and Pindorama Experimental farm and, 1985, at the Ribeirão Preto, Experimental farm. State of São Paulo, Brazil. Lines 5475, 5207, 5249 and H-69, and the cultivar Tatuí significantly higher than the control (cv. Tatu). The best yields were observed in lines 5475 (an erect, short-cycle line of the Valência group) and 5207 (a "bunch" type, long-cycle line of the Virginia group) which showed average yields 30% higher than the cultivar Tatu. Lines 269 and 70 were the only ones to present seed oil contents superior to the control, in 3%. The good yielders, 5207 and 5249, presented oil contents significantly lower than the control. Some of the lines showed to bear, in their genotypes, along with the yield potential, some level of resistance to the main foliar diseases. That was the case of line 5207, rated as moderately suscetible to late leafspot and scab, and moderately resistant to web blotch, and line 5475, as moderately suscetible to late leafspot, moderately resistant to scab and resistant to web blotch and rust. For their yielding ability and levels of disease resistance, these lines have already been included in crosses with lines that have trait for good pod type and quality, as both present limitations on these characteristics.
peanut; germplasm; agronomic potential