ABSTRACT
The present study was conducted with the objective of analyzing the covariance structure and repeatability estimates of the variables related to guava productivity, such as fruit weight (FW), fruit number (FN) and fruit production (FP) of three harvests, in 95 genotypes of a segregating population. The study also aims to choose the most appropriate covariance structure of the observations within the same individual by means of AIC (Akaike's Information Criterion) and SBC (Schwarz's Bayesian Criterion) criteria. A covariance structure between repeated measures could be incorporated into the statistical model, with the self-regression and compound symmetry forms being the most adequate. The values of repeatability coefficients obtained for FW (0.25), FN (0.14), and FP (0.29) were considered low, indicating that the three harvests were not sufficient to select the best individuals with greater accuracy for the study population. For the variables PF and FP, estimates of accuracy around 0.50 could be obtained from five measurements, while for the variable FN more harvests would be necessary. These values indicate that in guava-segregating populations, evaluations in the first harvests are not enough to select more stable genotypes for the variables considered in this study.
Keywords:
Covariance structure; Coefficient of repeatability; Psidium guajava.