CLUSTER ANALYSIS USING QUANTITATIVE, QUALITATIVE AND MOLECULAR TRAITS FOR THE STUDY OF THE GENETIC DIVERSITY IN PINEAPPLE GENOTYPES

Cluster analysis using quantitative, qualitative and molecular variables is a useful tool in estimating genetic diversity between genotypes in germplasm collections. The objective of this study was to carry out a simultaneous analysis of quantitative, qualitative and molecular variables followed by clustering to study the genetic diversity between pineapple genotypes using the Gower algorithm. Eleven quantitative, five qualitative and forty three molecular characteristics in ninety pineapple genotypes were evaluated. The cophenetic correlation coefficient of the joint analysis was higher when compared with the individual analysis coefficients. Ten groups were observed which indicates higher variability among genotypes evaluated. The simultaneous analysis of the quantitative, qualitative and molecular variables was efficient in the expression of the genetic diversity between pineapple genotypes when compared to the individual analysis for each type of variable.