Avocado pear was first introduced to Ghana in 1750 from Mexico. Several introductions have subsequently been made to encourage commercial cultivation of the crop. To date, however, the crop is still cultivated on subsistence level due mainly to the absence of certified nurseries to provide certified high yielding planting materials to potential avocado farmers. Seeds are the major planting materials but fruits produced from seeds are not true-to-type because of the heterozygous nature of the crop. A successful clonal propagation protocol would be used to mass produce true-to-type high quality cultivars for distribution to farmers to encourage commercial cultivation of the crop in Ghana.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-29T15:37:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_8522_Dissertação Final Alda Francisca Rodrigues de Sousa Fernandes20150806-93833.pdf: 1352628 bytes, checksum: 5c09297b08c4059df782f1a6ee8afc62 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-27 / CAPES / Moraceae compreende plantas latescentes de porte arbóreo como as figueiras (Ficus), de porte arbustivo como as espécies de Sorocea, ou herbáceas como as espécies de Dorstenia. O gênero Dorstenia é o único herbáceo dentro da família, com cerca de 105 espécies, e possui princípios ativos ligados a diversas funções terapêuticas. Além do uso medicinal, os carapiás, como são conhecidas popularmente as espécies de Dorstenia, também apresentam grande potencial como plantas ornamentais. Alguns estudos envolvendo sistemática, filogenia, molecular e fitoquímica são relatados para algumas espécies de Dorstenia. No entanto, são poucos os relatos a respeito dos dados citogenéticos e conteúdo de DNA no gênero, provavelmente em virtude da dificuldade de encontrar populações naturais em campo e à situação vulnerável que compromete grande parte das espécies. Dados citomorfológicos associados com o valor 2C de DNA podem gerar informações sobre a evolução cromossômica e colaborar com os aspectos sistemáticos e taxonômicos de um grupo. Diante do exposto, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi caracterizar, por meio da citogenética e citometria de fluxo, três espécies de Dorstenia: D. arifolia Lam., D. bonijesu Carauta & C. Valente e D. elata Hook. Para isso, o número cromossômico foi determinado, parâmetros morfométricos e de assimetria intercromossômica (A2) foram estabelecidos e o conteúdo de DNA nuclear foi mensurado. O material vegetal foi coletado em Mata das Flores, ES. Para a citogenética, raízes foram obtidas por meio de sistema hidropônico, tratadas com APM nas concentrações de 3, 4 e 5 μM, por 16 a 18 h e fixadas em metanol: ácido acético (3:1), para posterior digestão, coloração e observação das lâminas. Para citometria de fluxo indivíduos jovens foram coletados. As folhas foram utilizadas como material de análise para xi quantificar o conteúdo de DNA nuclear. A metodologia citogenética possibilitou a obtenção de material adequado para análise. Encontraram-se 32 cromossomos e foi possível montar o primeiro cariograma para as três espécies. Com os dados morfométricos, a classificação dos cromossomos foi determinada e foram confirmadas as diferenças entre os três cariótipos. O índice de assimetria A2 variou entre as espécies: D. bonijesu apresentou A2 = 0,16, seguido por D. arifolia A2 = 0,14 e D. elata A2 = 0,13. As análises de citometria de fluxo possibilitaram mensurar o conteúdo de DNA nuclear de 2C = 3,49 picogramas (pg) para D. elata, 2C = 4,05 pg para D. bonijesu, e 2C = 5,47 pg para D. arifolia. Apesar das três espécies apresentarem o mesmo número de cromossomos (2n = 32), os valores de conteúdo de DNA evidenciados pela citometria de fluxo e os resultados do índice assimétrico foram diferentes. De acordo com os valores de A2 e dados descritos na literatura D. elata pode ser a espécie mais derivada em relação a D. bonijesu e D. arifolia, por possuir o menor índice de assimetria e menor conteúdo de DNA nuclear. Assim, os dados da presente pesquisa permitiram caracterizar, pela primeira vez, três espécies de Dorstenia, contribuindo para diferentes áreas como ecologia, filogenia, sistemática e evolução. / Moraceae comprises latescentes plant tree size as the fig trees (Ficus), shrub species as Sorocea, or herbaceous species as Dorstenia species. The Dorstenia is the only herbaceous within the family, with about 105 species, and it has active ingredients linked to several therapeutic functions. Besides the medical use, the "carapiás", as popularly known, the Dorstenia species also have a high potential as ornamental plants. Some studies involving systematic, phylogeny, molecular and phytochemical are reported to some species of Dorstenia. However, there are few reports about the cythogenetic data and DNA content in the gender, probably due to the difficulty to find natural populations in the field and the vulnerable situation that affects most species.Cytomorphological data associated with the DNA 2C value can generate information on the chromosomal evolution and cooperate with systematic and taxonomic aspects of a group. That being said, the objective of this study was to characterize, by using cytogenetics and flow cytometry, three species of Dorstenia:. D. arifolia Lam., D. bonijesu Carauta & C. Valente and D. elata Hook. For this, the chromosomal number was determined, morphometric and intrachromosomal asymmetry (A2) parameters were established and nuclear DNA content was measured. The plant material was collected in Mata das Flores, ES. To cytogenetics, roots were obtained by using the hydroponic system, treated with APM in the concentrations of 3, 4 and 5 uM, for 16 to 18 h and fixed in methanol: acetic acid (3:1), for later digestion, coloring and observation of the slides. For flow cytometry young individuals were colected. The leaves were used as material of analysis to quantify the nuclear DNA content. The Cytogenetic methodology allowed to obtain suitable material for analysis. It was found 32 chromosomes and it was possible to mount the first karyogram to the three species. With the morphometric data, the classification of chromosomes was xiii determined and the differences were confirmed between the three karyotypes. The A2 asymmetry index varied between the species: D. bonijesu showed A2 = 0.16, followed by D. arifolia A2 = 0.14 and D. elata A2 = 0.13. The flow cytometric analysis allowed to measure the nuclear DNA content of 2C = 3.49 picograms (pg) for D. elata, 2C = 4.05 pg for D. bonijesu , and 2C = 5.47 pg for D. arifolia. Despite of the fact that the three species have the same chromosome number (2n = 32), the DNA content values obtained by flow cytometry and the results of the asymmetric index were different. According to the A2 values and data described in the literature D. elata can be the species more derivative in relation to D. bonijesu and D. arifolia, for having the lowest asymmetry index, and the lowest content of nuclear DNA. Therefore, the present research data allowed to characterize, for the first time, three species of Dorstenia, contributing to different areas such as ecology, phylogeny, systematics and evolution.

Les plantations d’hévéa (Hevea brasiliensis) s’étendent vers des zones non traditionnelles de production en Thaïlande où des conditions plus sèches ont pu conduire à une diminution de la croissance des arbres et de la production de latex. Des paramètres physiologiques utiles pour sélectionner des génotypes adaptés sont nécessaires, comme l’efficience d’utilisation de l’eau (WUE). La discrimination isotopique du carbone est largement utilisée comme proxy pour WUE et peut être aisément utilisée dans des programmes de sélection pour la tolérance à la sécheresse. δ13C des feuilles et les échanges gazeux foliaires ont été mesurés sur de jeunes plants de dix clones d’hévéa cultivés en pot dans une pépinière. La gamme de δ13C des feuilles entre ces dix clones était restreinte et la corrélation entre δ13C et WUEi était significative que sous fort déficit de pression de vapeur saturante, ce qui signifie que la prédiction de WUE par δ13C serait peu précise. Il y avait une large gamme de δ13C entre les génotypes dans une collection de 49 génotypes sauvages d’hévéa cultivés dans le nord-est de la Thaïlande en saison sèche et en saison des pluies. δ13C était relativement stable avec une bonne corrélation entre les saisons. Cette étude montre que la variabilité génétique de δ13C est prometteuse pour des futurs programmes de sélections si une bonne corrélation entre δ13C et WUE peut être établie. L’absence de corrélation entre de δ13C du latex (δ13C-L) et des composés solubles extraits des feuilles (δ13C-S) prélevées sur des arbres saignés et non saignés âgés de 20 ans suggère que photosynthétats récemment produits se mélangent à un stock important d’hydrate de carbone impliqués dans la régénération du latex après la saignée. Donc, δ13C du latex n’est pas un indicateur pertinent de WUE / The rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantations extend to non-traditional area in Thailand where dryer conditions has been reported to impair the growth of rubber trees and latex production. Physiological parameters helpful for breeding adapted genotypes are required, such as water use efficiency (WUE). Carbon isotope discrimination is widely used as a proxy for WUE that can easily be used for selection and breeding programs for drought tolerance. Leaf δ13C and leaf gas exchange were measured on young saplings of 10 rubber clones growing in pot in a common garden. The range of leaf δ13C among 10 clones was narrow and the correlation between δ13C and WUEi was significant under high vapour pressure deficit only, which means the prediction of WUE by δ13C would have low precision. There were large δ13C variations among the genotypes at all seasons in a collection of 49 wild genotypes of rubber in Northeastern Thailand. δ13C was rather stable with a good correlation between rainy and dry season. The genetic variability of δ13C is promising for breeding if a good correlation between δ13C of leaf and WUE can be established. The lack of correlation between δ13C of latex (δ13C-L) and of leaf soluble compounds (δ13C-S) collected from tapped and untapped 20 year-old rubber trees suggests that recent photosynthates are mixed in the large pool of stored carbohydrates that are involved in latex regeneration after tapping. Thus δ13C of latex is not a relevant indicator of WUE of rubber trees

La forte hausse des rendements agricoles, observée tout au long des 150 dernières années, est, pour une large part, due à l’amélioration des variétés, résultant elle-même essentiellement de processus de recherche et développement. L’optimalité sociale de l’effort de recherche entrepris par les firmes de ce secteur, ainsi que des institutions encadrant l’activité de recherche, constituent un sujet important pour les politiques publiques. L’objet de cette thèse est de contribuer à éclairer cette question, en s’efforçant de tenir compte de l’impact sur l’environnement de l’innovation en matière de variétés agricoles. Nous examinons ce sujet à travers trois prismes différents : celui de l’innovation en tant que telle, celui du processus de recherche, et celui du cadre institutionnel offert aux entreprises de recherche. Nous montrons que la prise en compte des effets environnementaux de la recherche en modifie les optima, et devrait donc conduire à une adaptation du cadre incitatif et règlementaire. / The sharp increase in agricultural yields in the past 150 years owes a lot to the improvement of plant varieties, which, to large extent, is the result of the research and development process. Whether the research and development effort undertaken by firms operating in this sector and institutions regulating research are socially optimal is an important question for public policies. This thesis aims to contribute to tackling this issue, and its main contribution is to endeavor to account for the impact of crop innovation on the environment. We address the question through three different perspectives: innovation per se, the research and development process, and the institutional framework available to research firms. We show that environmental externalities of research significantly modify social optima.