Ten sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) lines were screened for P nutritional efficiency, as well as for the most adequate P dose for genetic studies and the character that most contributed for genetic divergence. An experiment was conducted in soil sack, in a greenhouse at Universidade Federal de Viçosa, UFV, Brazil. The treatments were arranged in a factorial layout (10 x 5) x 4, comprising ten lines, five doses of P (0, 250, 500, 750 and 1,000 mg P/kg of soil) and four replicates, in a randomized block design. A multivariate analysis was performed for each dose of P applied in the soil. There was genetic divergence among lines in every dose of P studied. The dose 250 mg P/kg of soil was considered as the best to rank the lines, therefore, it is indicated for genetic studies. With this dose, shoot dry matter was the trait that contributed most for genetic divergence among lines, and it should be an adequate parameter for screening for P efficiency in genetic studies.
Capsicum annuum; genetic variability; multivariate analysis; P doses
