The camu camu (Myrciaria dubia H.B.K. MC VAUGH) is a well known fruit species with a high vitamin C content. It is wild and a genetic improvement program is at an early stage. This paper reports on studies of its mating system, the possible effect of the source of the pollen (self pollination or outcrossing) and the repeatability of vitamin C production in this species with implications for the genetic improvement program. The results showed a mixed mating system with both crossing and selfing, no effects of the source of the pollen, individual repeatability of 0.41, repeatability of the mean of five harvests of 0.77 and accuracy of 0.88. Five to six fruit harvests is an adequate number to provide high selection efficiency. Selection and cloning of the best 10 trees can provide a genetic gain of 237.5%, enhancing annual fruit production from 7.75 to 23.17 kg per plant.
quantitative genetics; repeatability; self pollination; yield
