Multi-year progeny test identifies superior progenies and a biennial yield pattern in macaw palm (Acrocomia aculeata)

Multi-year progeny test identifies superior progenies and a biennial yield pattern in macaw palm (Acrocomia aculeata) | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Multi-year progeny test identifies superior progenies and a biennial yield pattern in macaw palm (Acrocomia aculeata) Ana Carolina Melo Ribeiro, Sérgio Yoshimitsu Motoike, Evellyn Giselly de Oliveira Couto, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8768177/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The macaw palm ( Acrocomia aculeata ) is a native Neotropical palm with potential for vegetable oil production, particularly for biofuel generation. However, its domestication remains incipient, and information on long-term progeny performance is still limited. This study evaluated fruit yield and biennial bearing in a macaw palm progeny test to identify superior families for genetic improvement. Thirty-six half-sib progenies from two regions of Minas Gerais, Brazil, were assessed for fruit production from 2019 to 2024 at the Federal University of Viçosa, Minas Gerais. The experiment followed a randomized complete block design with three blocks and three plots per block. Genetic variances, parameters, and progeny performance were estimated using mixed linear models (REML/BLUP) implemented in the ASReml package in R. Biennial bearing was identified based on multi-year yield patterns and phenotypic correlations among consecutive and alternating production cycles. Mean fruit production ranged from 1.34 kg plant⁻¹ in 2019 to 26.32 kg plant⁻¹ in 2022. Most of the genetic variability for yield was concentrated within progenies, with a broad-sense heritability of 0.36, indicating high intrafamilial heterogeneity. Four of the evaluated progenies stood out for their superior performance, year-to-year stability, and, in some cases, early flowering. Intrafamilial selection within these progenies, totaling eight individuals, increased the population mean yield by 30.12%. A pattern of negative biennial bearing was observed, reinforcing the importance of multi-year evaluations for accurate selection, with no association with accumulated annual precipitation. The selected progenies are promising candidates for directed crosses and may contribute to advances in macaw palm breeding programs. Earliness Genetic variability Macauba Mixed models REML/BLUP Yield stability Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files SupplementaryTable1.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 17 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 30 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 11 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 11 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 05 Feb, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 03 Feb, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 03 Feb, 2026 First submitted to journal 02 Feb, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8768177","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":586541663,"identity":"61e7fe9c-090a-4494-855c-3ece9f6f5072","order_by":0,"name":"Ana Carolina Melo 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However, its domestication remains incipient, and information on long-term progeny performance is still limited. This study evaluated fruit yield and biennial bearing in a macaw palm progeny test to identify superior families for genetic improvement. Thirty-six half-sib progenies from two regions of Minas Gerais, Brazil, were assessed for fruit production from 2019 to 2024 at the Federal University of Vi\u0026ccedil;osa, Minas Gerais. The experiment followed a randomized complete block design with three blocks and three plots per block. Genetic variances, parameters, and progeny performance were estimated using mixed linear models (REML/BLUP) implemented in the ASReml package in R. Biennial bearing was identified based on multi-year yield patterns and phenotypic correlations among consecutive and alternating production cycles. Mean fruit production ranged from 1.34 kg plant⁻\u0026sup1; in 2019 to 26.32 kg plant⁻\u0026sup1; in 2022. 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